Chronicles of Absolution: The Calm before the Storm
by Kirabaros
Summary: 3.21. Sam is detoxing in the panic room and something is going on with Angie. While the last few seals are becoming broken Angela agrees to brave the challenges of the Gauntlet in order to find the means of helping Sam with his detox.
1. Chapter 1

**Chronicles of Absolution: The Calm before the Storm**

**Chapter 1**

_The fighting was fierce and once again she didn't have any problems utilizing her powers. Of course it would have been easier to kill them off the bat but she had been in the mood for an ass kicking and plus she had to make sure that Amelia and Jimmy Novak were out of the way. Castiel had taken over Claire and she made a mental note to have a few choice words about that when this was over._

_ The bodies the demons possessed were pretty much shells of the people they were except for one. The girl was a fighter and she wanted to give her a chance. It was not a big deal to trap the demon and then pull it. Instead of sending the demon back to hell though, she killed it like she did Jade. The girl would be alright even though she was unconscious. It left her to go and help her friends._

_ It was a harsh reminder to what she already knew. The body of the demon was on the ground and he was kneeling over. He then looked up at the three of them, with blood smeared on his face. At that point it was like there was nothing; there wasn't anything to say then. At that moment she had to take care of Jimmy and practically flew towards the man. There was nothing else to see but blood…_

Angela blinked as she remembered what happened in that warehouse. The plan was perfect to let Jimmy, Castiel's meat suit, go in solo and they follow in through the catwalks. It didn't go quite as planned since the boys got caught. She did have a bit of fun enjoying that they couldn't find her from her vantage point and it allowed for a surprise, especially when she startled the demon riding Jimmy's wife by crashing down just as Castiel came back.

No one seemed to expect her to use her powers as she sent demons flying and set Sam and Dean loose. It was a good old fashioned fist fight as she took on one demon and then pinned him to the wall and pulled it out and killed it with that fire thing she could do. She stayed by Castiel, then occupying little Claire, more out of a habit and they worked well together to team up.

She would have pulled the demon from Amelia but Sam got to that first. Angela paused in her thought process to muse over her thoughts and what she saw. She saw the blood smeared across his face and she could smell it, the unique smell of demon blood. His face though… All she could see was the blood as she watched him turn and pull the demon out of Amelia. He looked like a few of the vamps and other creatures she had hunted that were messy eaters and she felt… She couldn't describe what she felt.

Initially it was shock that hit. She did catch a glimpse of Sam pouncing on the demon like a ravenous animal. Then it turned to sadness. She recalled at that moment a time where another person who needed blood pounced on the unsuspecting victim. There was regret all around but that didn't erase the pain and the guilt from it. Looking at Sam, she was reminded of that and it felt like she may have been too late.

There hadn't been time to address it fully since there was the issue with Jimmy. She went to his side and prepared to examine the wound. She almost wanted to snap at Castiel that he was being a moron and that she could save Jimmy. He had been bleeding pretty badly; stomach wounds did that and if not taken care of then the consequences would be deadly. Instead she threw a nasty look at the angel and continued to work in her examination.

She thought it a great sacrifice that Jimmy made to take back Castiel but it was love for his daughter than prompted it. She could sense it as she worked on healing. She had no qualms of letting them see her glowing hand since what the hell; they saw demons and an angel appearing in their midst. It was just one crazy night for them all.

It had been a surprise when Jimmy grabbed her wrist and looked at her. They shared a look of understanding. It was more like knowing what the other was about. She stopped her healing then with a nod and let Castiel do his thing. Of course she didn't like what he did after that.

_I serve heaven. I don't serve man. And I certainly don't serve you._

It was a product of being forcibly dragged back to Bible camp and re-educated. Castiel had warned her that it might happen. His unsanctioned visits and the beseeching on her behalf and just what he did put enough doubt into his superiors' minds that he might not be on the job with them anymore… it got him a ticket back upstairs. He had warned her and she felt like she should have listened and just did what they wanted her to do. And the sad thing was that she sensed something wasn't right and she drove Dean crazy insisting that they hop on the road and burn rubber.

It wasn't until Dean woke up from a dream talking to the angel that they hit the road. It made her feel foolish and angry with herself. She should've gone on her own to help her angel. True they might have been outnumbered but she would have fought and she would have let it be known how she disapproved. No doubt they would remember how she kicked Uriel's ass and they knew she fought and killed two Grigori. Or course that might have meant that they would have rained down on the smiting if they forgot how important she was supposed to be to them.

A sound from behind the door caught her attention and she looked at it. It was salted iron and reminded her of the old bunkers during the world wars. A view port reminded her of the old sailing ships except the shut look had a sense of finality to it. It was supposed to be sort of a hideout from the worst case scenario aka the end of the world but now it was like a prison designed for one thing and one thing only.

She heard the stomping and the noises and she could tell that he was annoyed and slowly getting pissed. She hadn't expected it at all though she probably should have suspected something when Dean 'took a break'. While it annoyed her that he didn't include her, she could understand why to a degree he didn't include her in on the scheme with Bobby; she figured Dean thought she might inadvertently say something in one of hers and Sam's conversations and she might have. She certainly revealed quite a bit of herself since she hooked up with them. It never occurred to her that Dean didn't want Sam to think she was in on it.

"This is isn't funny guys."

_No it isn't. It is serious_, she thought to herself. _It is serious because it is a path few can successfully walk away from and even then it haunts you until the day you die._

"What are you doing here Angie?"

Angela frowned as she looked up from her musings at Dean. He was frowning at her as he came down the stairs like she was a child that had done something bad. She frowned back and replied, "I'm sitting."

"I can see that you're sitting but what are you doing here?"

Angela studied him and said, "I am sitting here because I want to sit here." She was going to be stubborn about it since she wasn't sure why she was torturing herself by listening to Sam call out to them and demand to let him out. "And… Sam needs company," she added in a pouty tone as she turned away.

Dean hadn't meant to sound so harsh with her but he was concerned that she would actually let Sam out of the panic room before his brother had a chance to dry out. He figured that Sam would wheedle her to do it with the puppy eyes and while she may have resisted and occasionally conceded, she would see it as a hurt or sick Sam and try to help. Besides he deserved the snappiness from her when he tricked Sam into going in.

He had planned it out with Bobby. They both agreed that while risky, it was best not to let her in on the plan. It did occur to Dean that she could easily read his mind and guess at it but he was relying on her self-imposed rules and sensibility not to. His other reason was that he didn't want Sam to blame her for this. It was a twisted way of getting Sam to see her for how good she was for him and it was a stark reminder of the same thing he did when he made his deal over a year ago. It was shitty but he hoped that she would understand if not now then in the future.

Bobby had done a convincing job of telling them to go downstairs for the plan. Dean had been the one to stop her from following Sam and he couldn't forget the look on her face when she realized what was going on. Bobby restrained her when she questioned what the hell they were doing and it was rather a relief she didn't break anything including them. Dean looked down at her as she sat on the steps that gave access from the basement to the first floor. She was looking at the door. "Angie we have to do this."

"I know," Angela said quietly. She ended up whispering in a very low voice, "But it is killing us."

Dean didn't hear the last part. He was looking at the door to the panic room and then back at her. "Angie, he has been poisoned."

"There are far worse poisons to come," she muttered. She ended up clearing her throat but she didn't look at Dean. She was just staring at walls but not really seeing what was in front of her. She looked up and studied Dean. "It's going to be worse for all before the end and when the end comes it happens all over again. A vicious cycle and it has just begun." She then stood up and went back up the stairs.

Dean watched as she stood up in a fluid motion and started up the stairs. He raised his brow in worry as she left. Something wasn't right and at the moment he couldn't his finger on it. At the moment though he had bigger concerns and it was sitting in the panic room. He let her go glad that she was nowhere near the door. He trusted her but they couldn't afford for her to be the sympathetic mother at the moment. And that feeling he got on the way down and felt a few moments ago… it was hinky and it was better if she stayed away.

Dean reached the bottom of the stairs and looked at the door. It was quiet behind the door. He looked down at the floor. He just couldn't believe it had gotten this far. Taking a breath, he opened the viewport to take a peek in.

"Okay. Let me out. This is not funny."

"Damn straight," Dean replied as he looked in at the mess that was his brother. He could see his brother clearly as he got closer to the door.

"Dean. Come on. This is crazy."

"No. Not until you dry out." It had been spoken in normal tones but Dean was firm on this. The thing to do after this was to convince Angela to stay away.

Sam twitched his lip as if to retort in anger but he calmed himself and said, "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you and not to Angie. I should've… Just open the door."

Dean was tempted but he couldn't. "You don't have to apologize. Not to me. It's not your fault. It's not your fault that you lied to me over and over again and you probably lied to her though I can't see why you would. I get it now. You couldn't help it."

That got Sam's dander up. "I'm not some junkie."

"Really? I guess I've just imagined how strung out you've been lately," Dean retorted, the hints of sarcasm returning.

"You're actually trying to twist this into some kind of ridiculous drug intervention?"

"If it smells like a duck."

"Dean, I'm not drinking the demon blood for kicks," Sam retorted firmly. "I'm getting strong enough to kill Lilith."

Dean remembered what Angela said about different kinds of strength. This didn't seem to fit in any possible category she could come up with. What Sam was doing… it was almost desperate, weak and pathetic. "Strong?"

"Yeah."

"This is about as far away from strong as you can get. Try weak. Try desperate. Pathetic." Each word came out like a barb Dean aimed at his brother trying to make him see.

"Killing Lilith is what matters. Or are you so busy being self-righteous you forgot about her?" Sam paused and added, "She wouldn't hesitate. Angie would do what it takes. She's done it before."

"Oh really? Would she do what you've been doing? I don't think so. Oh and by the way, Lilith's gonna die. Bobby and I will kill her or Angie will as you say but not with you."

"You're not serious."

"Congrats Sammy. You just bought yourself a benchwarmer seat to the apocalypse" Dean studied his brother for a moment and then shut the viewport to the panic room. It was a slow climb up the stairs.

"Dean! Let me out of here!"

* * *

"I said leave me alone!"

"Calm down Angie. All I did was ask how you are," Bobby said with a puzzled and worried look on his face. He watched as Angela walked holding the teddy bear she had left on his desk in the study. She was hugging it to her chest as she paced back and forth. She had been doing it since she came upstairs.

"Well don't ask," Angela replied in a snappish tone. "We are busy getting through this."

"We?"

"Me," Angela corrected looking annoyed with Bobby as if he got what she said wrong.

"Look I know you're pissed that we didn't bring you in on this but this is really for Sam's own good," Bobby replied thinking that she was being that way on purpose.

"Yes it is for our own good," Angela said, "Because we all know that addiction and then drying out is such a _fun_ oh yeah." The sarcasm was heavy on her tones. "And I need a drink." She moved towards the kitchen to grab anything. She searched around and found one of Bobby's hidden whiskey bottles in the pantry and held it up. "Here's to alcoholism another addiction."

Bobby listened to the sounds from the kitchen and winced when she exclaimed her ridiculous statement. He could hear her slam the door to the pantry shut and pop of the cap on the bottle. He was worried about this. It was like she was behaving like a child who wasn't getting her way but some of the thing she had been saying, the changes in tense and the snappy behavior… it was worrisome. Something was not right.

Angela looked at the bottle of whiskey that was about a third empty and scowled at it. She knew that she couldn't get drunk but it helped to mellow her out. She felt angry and she didn't know why and was well aware that some of the things she was saying didn't make sense. Some of it did since she was thinking about similar times. Her head felt like a tumble of thoughts from the events that happened and her emotions were not completely her own. It was like she was going insane.

She took another swing and motioned with her hands though she looked ridiculous swinging her teddy bear around. She needed to get out of the house. She made a beeline towards the door and headed towards the scrapyard, letting the door fall shut. She headed straight to her personal areas and started pacing back and forth with the bottle of whiskey in one hand and the bear in the other.

"Okay Angie, get a grip on yourself. You're not really mad at Dean," she said to herself. "Oh who the hell are you kidding? You're pissed that he didn't tell us. He locked us in."

Angela stopped and thought about what she just said. What did she just say? She shook her head and groaned, "God what is going on? I am going crazy and I don't know what to do." She looked up at the sky and said, "Do I need to ask for help?"

"No you don't. I was going to give it."

Angela looked down and saw the last person she expected. "What are you doing here Amitiel? I don't need any truth searching or a lie detector."

"No but it looks like you need a friend."

"I have them. I just can't be in the same room with them right now." Angela put a hand to her head and took a breath. It wasn't the alcohol. She was trying to just focus and tame the temper she felt. "I am not angry but I am."

Amitiel studied Angela. She had come when Castiel had been dragged back. She hadn't been visible to the Winchesters or Angela but she kept nearby to keep an eye on things. She watched the whole thing with Castiel's vessel and how he accepted being the angel's vessel. It was a big sacrifice and a perfect example of why she loved her father's creations. Now she was seeing a friend who was reacting to things and didn't know why though she had a couple of ideas but none were definite.

Taking pity, Amitiel offered, "I suspect that maybe something happened and your talents are now running rampart because you don't know of what to make of them."

Angela paused in her musings and looked at Amitiel. She frowned at the archangel and thought about it. She put the whiskey bottle down but didn't relinquish the bear. "So I subconsciously flipped the switch?"

"It is a possibility. You have compassion that is greater than most humans and you have empath abilities." Amitiel shrugged her shoulders gently. She spoke in gentle tones, "Angela, think about it. Whatever happened your thoughts are running and they are feeding your empath and making you more sensitive."

"I get it," Angela said as she nodded in annoyance. She sighed as she closed her eyes to focus. She could do this now. Leave it to an archangel to be right about something. Opening them she motioned towards the scrapyard. "Take a walk?"

Amitiel wasn't quite sure of what Angela meant by that phrase but she determined that the woman was willing to have a talk with her. She nodded and stepped so that she was side by side with the woman and they started walking through the yard with no particular destination in mind. Amitiel said, "Interesting turn of phrase."

"Sam invented it," Angela replied gently with a slight smile. "It's our thing when one or both of us had a bad day. It works." Sighing she looked at the angel and asked, "Why did you come Amitiel? I was not really being serious."

"Oh I know. Still I thought you could use a friend."

"I thought angels didn't make friends. They serve heaven," Angela deadpanned.

"We do but I seem to remember a part of a song that says 'for to his angels He's given a command to guide you in all of your ways'. Seems that there is a lot of wisdom in those words," Amitiel replied. She knew that it would be painful to bring up but… "I know they dragged Castiel back. They sent him to be re-educated."

"I know that. He warned me that it might happen." Angela hugged the bear to her body. "They did a damn good job on him. I just hope that I can get him back."

"There may be no going back for him."

"There has to be a way," Angela looked at the angel. She refused to breakdown and cry. She wouldn't do that. She could get a grip on her emotions. "It's my fault Cas got sent back and… He said that it was getting close to zero hour. That means there is what one or two that need to be broken?"

Amitiel hesitated as she studied Angela. She could see that the soldier was returning. It would hurt but she was going to take it and do what she had to do. Slowly she replied, "That is so. You shouldn't worry though since I think there is another concern. I know about Sam."

"Then you know that it's an ugly and painful process," Angela replied. She looked at the house. "It will get worse before it gets better and in the end it might kill him."

"Then find another way." Amitiel knew that the apocalypse was important but she sensed that this was important as well. She knew that the bigger picture couldn't be addressed unless a smaller one and a foundation was addressed. It could wait and in the end Angela would be focused for what she needed to do.

Angela peered at Amitiel with a suspicious look in her eyes. She was well aware that angels didn't offer advice like that for the sheer hell of it. Besides, the apocalypse was more important to them since it involved the First setting Lucifer free. That was a problem. It wasn't that she didn't believe Amitiel but that angel didn't garner the same level of trust that Gabriel or pre re-educated Castiel did. "What is it to you? I don't know you and yet here you are suggesting that I work on a problem of detoxing from demon blood instead of telling me to shut up and get going on how to find Lilith and gank her ass."

Amitiel had to resist giving a smile. This had been her goal. The more focused Angela was, then the rest would follow. It was how it seemed to work around her. She replied, "That is correct. Sam is not well and that bothers you. When you are bothered, you lose focus and like that rambling mess I found. When you fix what bothers you the focus will be back."

Angela made a slight face at that. She couldn't help but be a bit impressed with the angel and her attempt. She said, "Normally I would have punched you in the face for that."

"And I would have looked forward to it," Amitiel replied with a sweet smile, "Your need to hit something also goes towards you finding your focus."

"You're so annoying."

"I'm Truth. You're Absolution."

Angela couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at the ground. She knew that Amitiel was right. She needed focus and the angel provided. There was the issue with Sam though. What Dean did and locking him up, it was the only way she knew of cleanse someone from demon blood. It was painful and ugly and there was the possibility that the person might die.

Amitiel watched as Angela went into thought. "Sometimes a search could be closer than you think. Often it is right in front of you."

"You're right," Angela said. She ran back to the house. She was out in a short time and heading towards the garage where a cloth covered vehicle was. She was followed by Cerebus and Sasha who had been lounging outside.

She was barely in the driver's seat with Cerebus and Sasha when Amitiel said, "I don't think running away was a solution."

"I'm not running." Angela looked at the angel. "I just had an idea."

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like 3.21 kicks off with Sam being locked in the panic room and Angie is acting a bit peculiar. What's going on there? More to come on The Calm before the Storm...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The clearing was what it was. It was a clearing and yet it looked the same as it had when it was first created and by some native tribe to the Dakotas or something like that. Either way it was still there and it appeared that it still had its influence in terms of magic and other things and it could be used for multiple things.

Angela stood in the middle of the clearing. It was a perfect circle and was a sort of joke in some circles (no pun intended) about it being like the hoax crop circles; that it was a sign for the aliens. She had laughed at those but issued caution. The Nasca lines in Peru were nothing to joke about and would have been a good place to do this but she didn't have time to fly there and back.

Cerebus issued a whine and Angela looked down at him. She smiled at the hellhound and gave him an affectionate rub on his ears. It prompted Sasha to nudge for a rub which she gave as she kneeled to give them both a hug. "You two deserve better than this."

Both animals harrumphed at that. Cerebus sounded like a horse making a low moan and it made her laugh. "Okay, okay. Maybe I do need you both." She rubbed their heads and checked to make sure that her car was okay where she parked it.

The wind breezed through and she sighed. Putting her hand in her pocket she pulled out what she had kept tucked in the glove compartment ever since she got her car back in one of her hiding places. She held it in her hand and looked towards the center of the circle. She sighed as she recalled the words she needed to say for this to work. When she was ready, she opened her eyes and said the words. Then like skipping a rock across the pond, she threw what was in her hand towards the center.

Like anything else delays were inevitable. Lesser men would have given up but Angela stayed rooted to her spot. The only time her eyes were diverted from the center was when Sasha gave a puppy whine and she looked down at the pup. She was giving a high pitched whine at intervals indicating that she had picked up something sensitive.

"Should've known you'd bring the guard dog and the monster dog."

Angela looked back up and gave a slight smirk since she couldn't help it. "If possible, where I go, they go. You never know when a hellhound and a Wilder would come in handy." She took a few steps towards the center until she was a few feet from her visitor. "Still late."

Gabriel smirked at her as he shook his head. "You know I like to make an entrance Cat. So instead of a usual phone call you use the Stonehenge of South Dakota."

"Well I know that you are still in a witness protection program," Angela countered in a gentle tone. There was still a hint of playfulness in it as she fell back into the old way of greeting the angel. "It was this or go to Nasca, Peru."

Gabriel chuckled as she smiled. "Knowing you, you wouldn't give me a chance to stroke my ego. You usually try to shoot it down." He studied Angela as she just stared at him wearing that soft smile she reserved for when she was being polite with herself. He knew that it was a serious matter if she came to a place like this to call to him and make sure that he wasn't detected by his brothers. He sobered and asked, "Cat, what is going on?"

Angela chewed her lower lip and sighed, "I need your help Gabe."

"I can see that. About what?"

"I need you to help me clean up Sam."

Gabriel couldn't help but make the joke, "You're getting a little kinky there Cat. I know you like the guy…" He saw the look on her face. It was a blush mingled with seriousness. He was glad she still had a sense of humor but he understood that she had a sense of urgency and that had to do with the one person that pretty much had her going every which way. "What are you looking for?"

"I want you to detox him like you did me," Angela said being bluntly honest.

"No."

"No?"

"No." Gabriel knew that this wasn't going to make much sense to her if he didn't explain. "That's not something I do for just anyone. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you but I can't do it."

Angela looked at him and challenged, "Can't or won't?"

"Both."

"Then teach me." Angela put her hands over her chest. She had to let Gabriel know that she was being firm on this one.

"I can't," Gabriel replied. He hated doing this but he had to make her see.

Angela was getting frustrated and she was well aware that she wasn't exactly being clear on what she wanted and why. She asked, "Why not?"

Gabriel explained, "You don't have grace. Grace is pure creation and healing. You don't have it."

"News flash, I know that. Even though people call me an angel I know that I am not." Angela paused in what she was doing to calm down. Getting angry and frustrated wasn't going to help matters any. Gabriel would just be like how she would get when the boys or people she was trying to help started yelling at her. Taking a breath she said, "Since you use grace then I can still do it right? I mean it's like pulling out a demon. Taking out the poison."

Gabriel raised his brow at her. That was a pretty good deduction and in most cases that would work. He replied, "That is a logical point but you still wouldn't be able to. You just don't have that connection."

"What?"

"Your connection isn't strong enough," Gabriel offered. "Cat you're just getting a feel for your healer abilities. The pulling demon thing is the most current and impressive display since you send them up in a cloud of smoke and fire literally."

"So you're basically saying that I'm not strong enough," Angela countered.

"You're just learning more."

"But it can be done. Teach it to me Gabe or at least help me learn how to do it. You know just as well as me how bad it is going to get."

How could Gabriel forget that? He was the one that rescued her from hell. He was the one that saw what happened to her. Even though she got through that there were a couple of times that she had to go through with it all over again. It was because of that he learned the trick of using his grace to help her. That was the reason why he couldn't just do it for Sam though he was willing to. It was very specific. There was the chance that Sam could have a bad reaction to it and it might end up killing him.

He couldn't teach her how to do it because she was just learning her abilities and he figured that there were going to be certain things that would require connections on a deeper level. It was why he said what he said before. Her connection wasn't strong enough. Yeah she was in love with the guy but that didn't meant she was ready for it hence why he brought up the fact that she was a novice still. It hurt and made her annoyed but he was confident she would see why. Yet he also knew how tenacious she could be. He replied, "I know Cat. I was there those times. I know that Sammy is going to have a tough time of it but I can't help in that. What I do for you is specific for you. I could kill him."

"Then teach me how to channel my powers," Angela insisted.

"Cat, you aren't ready for that. You might end up killing yourself. How does that help anyone?"

Angela pursed her lips. She knew that it wouldn't help. No doubt they would try something to bring her back since she might end up doing what she did in Monument. "Then what am I supposed to do Gabe? I don't want him to die if it comes to that."

"He won't die Cat but I understand," Gabriel replied gently. "I know you want a less painful means but maybe…"

Angela shook her head and turned away to think. She knew Gabriel was right in that she wasn't ready. Yet she wasn't ready to give up on this. There had to be something that she could do. She stared at nothing in particular until she recalled a peculiar conversation she had with Liam. She looked at Gabriel and asked, "Is there a way through a concoction? Part of the healer thing?"

Gabriel frowned a bit at that. "What?"

"Apart from powers there are different levels of healers," Angela rattled off as she tried to recall what she had read. "The oldest on record…" She dropped off when something just didn't seem right. She looked in the direction of Bobby's house and her eyes narrowed.

Gabriel noticed the sudden change and took a step forward. He took in the fact that she was staring off into space like she was trying to see something. "Cat?"

"Don't you dare. I'll kill your ass again Alistair."

Gabriel paused as he studied her. She was very still and not moving. Her right hand was clenched in a loose fist and her left looked like it was going to point at something. Her stance was firm and she almost looked like a statue. "Alistair is dead Cat."

"Don't you bastard."

"Cat." Gabriel didn't want to startle her too much. It would end up being something like waking someone who was sleepwalking too suddenly. He hesitated to touch her so he was trying with words. "Who are you talking to?"

Angela didn't say anything but continued to stare in the direction she was looking at. She moved her head slightly as if to listen. "It burns. Fires burn within as it struggles to gain a foothold as it slowly loses ground."

Gabriel looked at Cerebus and Sasha and they gave a look and then looked in the direction she was looking at. He knew she was describing what it felt like to detox when it started. It was like a war being waged inside and it got worse before it got better. He wasn't sure of what to make of it.

Angela listened to the wind. She could hear the voices again. They were loud and persistent in their whispers. Whispers of old times and promises; the threats that had been made and lingered like a ghost that was now coming back full force and she could hear them. Yet they weren't whispers made to her. That she was certain of but she could hear them as plain as day.

_I've been looking forward to this._

"Cat," Gabriel tried and this time he put his hand on her shoulder.

Angela blinked and realized she had been staring at nothing. She looked around frowning at what just happened. The last thing she remembered was being focused on finding another means of helping Sam. She turned to see Gabriel looking at her with concern in his eyes. She asked, "What?"

"You okay?"

"I'm okay. I just spaced out for a little bit," Angela replied. She rubbed her head and ran her fingers through her locks. She frowned as she tried to collect her thoughts. "Okay so about what I was talking about."

Gabriel listened to her and raised his hand for her to stop. "I want to help you Cat but not on this one. I don't mean to sound like an ass but… this is one you're gonna have to figure out on your own." He took in the expression on her face. There was no contempt but resigned weariness or something like it. He put his hands on her shoulders, "Look Cat, what I did to help you was born out of desperation and was for you. There are some things that aren't generic. They become specific and you have to figure out what it is. The way it works."

Angela listened to what Gabriel was saying. It wasn't his fault. She nodded slightly, "Okay then. Then I guess I can't count on you for what comes."

"Don't be that way Cat," Gabriel pleaded, "I'm being honest with you here. It hurts for me to say it and for you to hear it but… It has to be you. Cat, this is the beginning for you." He looked her in the eye. "It is only the beginning and don't be afraid of it."

Angela still wasn't sure about it but she could see where Gabriel was coming from. She sniffed a bit since she was starting to feel emotional. It was then that Gabriel put something around her neck and patted her shoulders. She looked down to see that he had returned the amulet with his sigil on it. Looking up she said, "Thanks Gabe. Just…"

"Hey I'll always be there for you. Just not now."

"Right. I guess I gotta go. We're not having a good time of it. We see things."

"What?" Gabriel frowned.

"Um…" Angela frowned in confusion and then said, "Never mind. I got it." She turned on her heel and headed back to her car with Cerebus and Sasha in tow.

Gabriel watched as she left. Something was going on. He frowned as he mulled over everything. He had some idea and decided to go and investigate. He let her go and silently wished her luck before flapping off to see an old friend.

* * *

Sam was frustrated. He was locked in the panic room at the behest of his brother and Bobby. He knew they were behind it because he had seen the look on her face when she realized what they were doing. At first he thought that she would have done it considering what she had seen in that warehouse but there was something in her expression then that said otherwise.

He had been low for weeks. It was roughly three weeks since he had last seen Ruby when they were at that job to help the daughter of an old friend of Angela's. He tried to conserve what he had left but he was getting desperate. He had to call Ruby and figured it was the best time when Jimmy was asleep and of course no response and Jimmy gave him the slip. It frustrated him. That didn't mean that he was some junkie.

The demon he caught was too good to pass up. He needed it if they were going to make it through. He did what he had to do. It was the same thing that she would have done. She would have done what it took. Or was it really?

When he looked up to see Dean and Claire/Castiel looking at him, it was sort of to be expected. He knew Dean wouldn't be on board with what he was doing. Anything he suggested regarding the hunt for Lilith was shot down by him. His brother was afraid of her. Yet he wasn't. He could take Lilith out. That was all that mattered.

Then there was Angela. Sam paused in his musings. He could recall vividly the look on her face. She was looking at him, her face void of all expression except her eyes. It was like the look he hated seeing on her since it didn't tell him if she was angry or what. The only thing that was expressive was her eyes. It was like she knew, had known what he had been doing.

He long suspected that she knew what he was up to but she didn't say anything. He figured that maybe she guessed but wasn't going to point fingers or… Maybe she was waiting for him to come clean. He couldn't get anything except that to see her face like that, he felt worse than an ass. He couldn't shake the feeling that he did something worse and it bothered him.

_Sam…_

Sam whirled around looking for the source of the voice. "Angie?"

_I know what you've done…_

Sam sniffed a bit. It sounded like her but there was nothing right about it. He murmured to himself, "I did this to us."

_What do you want Sam?_

Sam put his hands over his ears and sat on the cot in the middle of the room. He clasped his hands together as he looked around the panic room the light was dim even though there was some light from above and the lights inside. His vision became blurry and he didn't feel too good.

_All this… it's just rewards; the price to pay for the choices you make._

Sam blinked and rubbed his head. Hearing Angela's voice like she was some Jiminy Cricket was annoying but a small part of him couldn't help but wonder if it was true. Not standing it, he got up and went to the door to try an open it. He needed to get out. He needed to talk to her, explain what he was doing but the damn thing couldn't open.

Frustrated he turned around and that was when he noticed. The temperature dropped and his breath came out in a fog. The lights began to flicker. It was Bobby's panic room and supposed to be supernatural-proofed but how do you explain the cold spots and the flickering lights? Something was coming. "Guys, get down here! Something's coming!"

Something was coming alright. Sam turned and knew he was either seeing things or maybe things weren't taken care of like they were supposed to be. And yet Alistair was there grinning his grin and saying, "Hello, Sam."

Sam was in shock. It couldn't be. He killed Alistair. Angela was there when he did it. This couldn't be him.

"It's a pleasure to see you again. Looks like I have you all to myself here," Alistair said as he looked around. "A shame since I was hoping to see my pretty again. We parted on such… poor terms. Goodness. How will we pass the time?" Alistair produced his scalpel and drew it across his neck. "I really want my pretty here but you'll have to do."

Sam felt his eyes widened and the next thing he knew he was on what he could only perceive as Alistair's torture table. He was strapped down enough to prevent too much struggling but he could still move to perceive what was going on around him. What he saw was Alistair approaching him. "Don't. No, no, don't. Don't. Don't."

That didn't stop Alistair. Sam felt excruciating pain and he couldn't help but gasp in pain. He begged for the demon to stop.

_Focus Sam. He's not real…_

It felt pretty real and the interruption with Angela's voice made Sam feel like he was totally losing it. Yet there was something about that interruption that was different. "Stop! Alistair… please."

"So polite all of a sudden," Alistair replied as he looked down at Sam.

_And you're dead… asshole._

"Very nice," Alistair continued as he leaned in close. "I appreciate that."

Sam whimpered slightly and begged Alistair not to do it. Then he felt it again and he couldn't help but scream. It was excruciating like something was being extracted from him. He then screamed, "Angie! Help me!"

From upstairs Bobby tried not to flinch as he poured two tumblers of whiskey. The screams from below were enough to sober anyone as he handed Dean his glass while glancing towards the door, waiting for Angela to return. He took a sip to try and hide his worry… like it was going to fool anyone.

"How long is this gonna go on?" Dean took a sip of his whiskey but not quite looking at Bobby.

_Angie! He's after you!_

Bobby for his part acted sort of his usual. He put his tumbler down and replied, "Here, let me look it up in my demon-detox manual. Oh wait. No one ever wrote one. And I bet our resident _healer_ knows a thing or two."

"Are we gonna start this up Bobby? You and I both know about her feelings for Sam. She'll see this as him being sick and let him out," Dean countered.

"Give her more credit than that ya idjit," Bobby countered looking at Dean like he was being unreasonable. "We left her out because you said that you didn't want Sam to think badly of her."

"I do," Dean countered. "I know her Bobby. She would figure out a way to get in there and… If something bad happens and if she gets hurt… Sam would never forgive himself."

"Like I said, give her some credit. Angie has dealt with worse." Bobby paused a bit and looked down. "No telling how long it'll take. Hell, or if Sam will even live through it. Or even if Angie will be okay."

Dean frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Something's not right Dean. Things she's been saying and getting angry if we question her and correcting herself..." Bobby tried to relay his experience to Dean before Angela took off.

"So you let her leave?"

"What do you want me to do? Tie her down with that adamantium silver stuff? That will go over real well," Bobby deadpanned. "I let her go because she had to and you wanted her to stay away didn't ya? Didn't want Sam trying to convince her to let him out." He gave Dean a piercing look as if to remind him what was going on.

At that moment the phone rang. Bobby broke contact and Dean turned away to think. Bobby answered the phone, "Hello." At the voice at the other end Bobby responded, "Suck dirt and die, Rufus. You call me again, I'll kill you." He hung up.

"What's up with Rufus?" Dean had to ask since the relationship between that hunter and Bobby was nothing like best friends.

"He knows," Bobby countered, feeling exhausted.

"He should considering he's a hunter worth his salt," Angela said as she walked through the door followed by the dogs.

"Where the hell have you been?" Dean looked at her, trying to discern if anything was wrong.

"Out," Angela replied as she walked over to a stack of books and started looking through them. She found one and started rifling through the pages. "Just reminding ourselves what we could have had getting out of the hunting business."

Dean didn't miss the use of tenses and looked at her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"We're not fine, thank you for asking."

Dean looked at Bobby and the grizzled hunter confirmed that was what he had heard earlier. He didn't know what to do. It felt like it was one thing added onto another. He didn't want to bring it up unless it was necessary. He asked, "How would you know that Rufus would know?"

"It's Rufus," Angela replied after blinking a bit. She frowned as if trying to figure out why she was looking through this book. She looked at Dean and asked, "What was I saying?"

It was a serious problem if she was pacing out like that. Bobby would have said something but the phone rang again. He answered it while Angela looked at what she was looking at and finally figured out what she was doing. She found a slip of paper and held it up like a prize. "Good. I knew my instructions were in here somewhere." She turned to see Bobby looking at her and Dean and she could guess, "More seals?"

* * *

**A/N:** Angie goes to see Gabe and Sam begins to hallucinate. Time to rock and roll and add the fact more seals are breaking. Stay tuned for more The Calm before the Storm...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"So do we know how many seals are left?" Dean looked at Angela and Bobby hoping some answers could be found. He ignored for now the fact that she had been able to guess that the second Bobby shot them a look.

"Who knows? Can't be many," Bobby offered.

"There are roughly three maybe four," Angela replied as she walked through packing a pack. "We're heading for the wire."

"And how do you know that?"

"A better question," Bobby interrupted, "Where the hell are your angel pals?" He didn't want to start a potential argument that would result in Angela saying something or doing something she most definitely would regret.

Dean recognized the tactic and went with it, "You tell me."

Bobby watched the pair and knew that he might get his head bitten off for this. Still he had to offer it. "I was just wondering. With the apocalypse being nigh and all… is now really the right time to be having this little domestic drama of ours?" He made a motioned towards Angela who was busy loading up stuff used for camping and the like.

"What do you mean?" Dean saw the nod but he wanted Bobby to lay it out on the line.

"Well I don't like this anymore than you do but Sam can kill demons," Bobby said. "He's got a shot at stopping Armageddon."

"So what?" Dean looked at Bobby like he was suspicious of his motives. "Did you know that Angie can kill demons too? And I don't just mean with her sword. She can do it Bobby. To sacrifice Sam's life, his soul for the greater good? Not really an option."

"So ya want her to do it?"

"Maybe she's supposed to Bobby," Dean pointed out. "Like I said, she can kill demons with her mind. She did it when we went to save Jimmy Novak's daughter."

"Look I hate me for suggesting it. I love that boy like a son…"

"Then we clean him up," Angela said as she came into the room. She had a backpack slung over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Dean looked at her.

"Taking a road trip," Angela replied. She could see that he would need more explanation than that so she explained, "Not a job. I'm going to get something that might help us."

"Angie there's no detox manual to be found," Bobby replied.

Sighing Angela looked at the grizzled hunter and said, "There isn't because the cold turkey way is the only way known. It is long and painful and very ugly. In some cases the one detoxing dies."

"So Sam could die from this?" Dean looked at her. "Can't you do anything about it?"

"It's why I'm going to try this. An old friend suggested that I look for the thing under my nose," she replied with a slight smile. "Dean, Sam won't die. He's too strong for that but the hallucinations will get worse and physical. He could hurt himself."

Dean studied her, trying to make sure that she wasn't going off the deep end. If she had a means of helping Sam, then maybe he could give her a chance. He just didn't want it to be like the time she gave up her vamp half for him. "This better not be like one of those red tape things you do."

"Nothing like that," Angela replied in a reassuring tone. She knew what Dean meant by that question.

"What are you going to do?" Bobby looked at her as she held the pack over her shoulder. "You look like you're going for a camping trip."

"I'm retrieving the Eye of Horace."

Bobby understood now what that meant. He looked at Dean and then at her and said, "You know there is a reason why you asked me to put it there."

"Yes."

"Now you want to go in and go through whatever is in there to get it back?" At the look that Bobby saw on her face, he knew she was being serious. He added, "You do realize what goes on in that place?"

"What are you talking about? Angie what the hell are you planning? Spill it," Dean demanded. He had Sam's detox to deal with and hell be damned if he was going to be the one to tell Sam that she died trying to get something to help him. He wouldn't hear the end of it.

Bobby spoke first, "The queen of protecting powerful objects is going to go to one of the more secure places to store things. She's going to the Gauntlet."

Angela gave Bobby a look and then looked at Dean. He looked ready to tell her no so she said, "The Gauntlet is like a maximum security facility. It is the best place to store powerful objects if you are preventing the other side from getting them. Bobby took the Eye of Horus there for safekeeping when we were finished with that job with Tiamat. I figured it would be best to keep it there since it does have some properties that are desirable." She pressed her fingertips together and took a breath. "The way I see it, the Eye is the best choice so far."

"And it's protected by traps and stuff that would give a treasure hunter a run for their money," Bobby replied as he recalled what he had to do to get the damn thing in there. He remembered the warnings about anyone other than him going to get it.

"It can heal anything, Bobby," Angela said as she looked up from her hands. "If we look at detoxing as a healing, then this might just work."

"I don't doubt that but you know what the Gauntlet is about."

"Yeah I do. I went through it once or twice before," she replied. She looked at Dean and asked him to trust her on this. "I know what I'm doing and even if you two don't approve, I have to try." She got a fierce look of determination in her eye that indicated that she was going no matter what. She was giving them the courtesy of knowing what she had in mind… well mostly.

Dean looked at Bobby who was shaking his head in a silent gesture to tell her not to. Dean trusted that Bobby knew what he was talking about just like Angela was when it came to this Gauntlet business. He knew there had to be a good reason why she asked Bobby and didn't go and do it herself. Plus there was the fact that she was offering some chance to help Sam. He looked at Angela and asked, "You think this might help?"

"On many ends," she replied with a slight nod. "I might even learn a few things along the way too for both of us." She frowned a bit as she said that like she wasn't sure of what she said.

Dean looked back and forward. It was a hard decision to make but it was clear that Angela was going no matter what. Yet he sensed that she wanted his approval. There was also the matter that Bobby pointed out about her referring to herself as 'we' as if she were talking about her and someone else. It was an added aggravation but… he looked at her and said, "Then do it."

Bobby looked at Dean as if he had lost his mind. "Now yer outta yer minds both of ya."

Angela looked at Bobby and then Dean. He nodded at her to go. She slung her bag over her shoulder and started to walk out. Dean stopped her by grabbing her upper arm gently. "You do plan on taking company with ya right? That's my stipulation."

Angela looked at Dean and then gave a whistle. Cerebus trotted obediently to her side. "Satisfactory?" She gave a slight nod.

"Better than nothing." Dean rubbed Cerebus' head. He knew the mutt would keep an eye on things. "Just be careful Angie. I hope you find what you're looking for besides that Eye." When Angela shot him a look he just gave a tired shrug with a slight grin.

Angela looked at Bobby and then at Sasha. Looking back at Dean she said, "Let Sasha see Sam. Or at least camp by the door. At least she knows a few things."

She left the house and headed towards her car unaware that Dean had followed her out more at Bobby's insistence. It wasn't until she had slung the pack into the backseat that she turned to find Dean waiting. It almost had her jump. She said, "There is a rule you know."

"Why are you doing this Angie?" Dean blinked as he said it, trying not to go all inquisition on her.

"I told you. It might make this detox less painful."

"Yeah I get that and I know that you have your healer mojo; I've seen it before. If you were confident and managed to convince me to let you go in… then I would've," Dean countered. "I may not have liked it and yeah I was an ass in not telling you what we were planning and I'm concerned that Sam would convince you to let him out… but I would have trusted you. I do. So tell me what else does this road trip entail?" He put his hands on his hips very well aware that he was utilizing a maneuver that more likely wouldn't work but he had to try and he was being serious here.

Angela paused a moment and then said, "There are some things that aren't generic like me healing a sprain or lacerations. Some require more intimate levels from my understanding. Detoxing is one of them I think and it requires a level that I'm not yet at. Could end up being like Monument." She looked up at Dean, hoping that he would understand.

Dean did understand. "So this is not just a retrieval job. You're gonna learn a few things," he said it more in a matter of fact tone.

"Gauntlet is not just a secure holding," she replied with a slight smile. "But don't worry. Nothing involving deals. That would be bad for business."

"Considering that I would kick your ass if you did that," Dean countered with a slight grin. He took a few steps closer. "I meant what I said Angie. Be careful doing what you need to do. Sam would never let me hear the end of it."

"I highly doubt that," Angela replied.

"He's being a bonehead." Dean made a face at the sound she made. He then said, "Look I was there when we saw the blood on his face. When he looked at you, it was different." He was totally making this up but he knew his brother well enough. Plus he thought he saw something different. It was just hard to process since he had been concerned at the moment.

Angela clicked her tongue on her teeth and gave a slight smile. "Dean, it will be as it has been for a time. Don't push but you know I wouldn't do this for just anyone." She jumped into the driver's seat and turned on the engine.

"Don't give up Angie," Dean said as he leaned over her side.

"Thanks," Angela said as she smiled at him. She was surprised when Dean gave her a slight peck on her cheek and warned her to be careful. She replied, "We will." She shifted gears and turned the Camaro towards the road.

Dean watched her leave. He hoped he knew he was doing the right thing since there was some amount of danger involved. Yet he knew that this was something she needed to do and maybe there was a chance to help Sam on this. It felt right but he was also concerned and had every right to be. He heard a whine and saw Sasha looking up at him with her puppy eyes though she wasn't really puppy sized anymore. He rubbed her head and said, "It's okay Sasha. She'll be back and she'll be able to help Sam." He finished rubbing her head and gestured for her to go towards the house. "Come on. I guess you can see him."

* * *

Sam sniffed feeling like there was a cold coming on but it wasn't. He felt hot and he felt cold. It was like coming down with a bad flu bug or something. He wrung his hands together trying to stop them from doing anything like shaking. His legs jittered as he sat on the edge of the cot.

The thing with Alistair was horrible. He had killed the bastard and yet he felt every twist and cut of the knife. It was excruciating in the pain level but he felt it could have been worse if he hadn't heard her voice. He kept looking for her since he heard it but she wasn't there. It drove him crazy. He called for her and begged for her to help.

Then he saw his younger self pointing out how this was all his fault and the life he could have had if Dean hadn't walked in and pulled him onto that hunt. He had thought about it often if Dean hadn't come back for him at Stanford. In the end though things wouldn't have been the way they were. They wouldn't have met her; she would have never made herself known and let them go on happily with their lives. He found that horrible to contemplate; to imagine what it would have been like if they had never meant.

Sam sniffed again and rubbed his nose. It was little comfort as he stared at the walls around him. He knew that there was no way out of the panic room. His throat convulsed as he looked around at the lightning and the sheer loneliness is felt in there. His legs twitched some more and his hands jiggled. He murmured, "Angie, where are you?"

At that moment the door opened and Sasha came in, her nails clinking on the ground. Sam looked at her and couldn't tell if it was like the other hallucinations or his brother was actually having mercy on him if not actually letting him out. As it were, being let out wasn't going to happen any time soon since the door was shut the moment Sasha was completely inside. Sam looked at her as she sat there looking at him. She was effectively between him and the door. "What do you want Sasha?"

It was better than nothing to address it. He couldn't tell if Sasha was a hallucination or not. At least it was one of the better ones so far. He started at the dog who was looking at him with that puppy look. "I get it. I'm in the doghouse. You don't need to be here," he said in an almost snappish tone. He just wanted the dog to go away.

Sasha stood up and wagged her tail slightly before ambling forward. Sam sniffed and gave a warning look. "Don't. You're not real."

Sasha continued to come closer until she was within touching distance. She then sat down and looked up at Sam with a knowing look. She then leaned forward and nosed his hands. She then sat back and looked up expectantly at Sam. She gave a slight whine and sat there.

Sam looked at her. The wet nose felt real but then again so was Alistair's knife. That was real and he felt the pain of that. The hallucination of his younger self was definitely not real but sometimes talking to yourself, while seemingly crazy, helped a bit. Now there was Sasha and it really was messing with him since he had done nothing against her. It was a dog… or a Wilder or whatever the hell it was. It didn't matter since she was a dog.

Taking a breath, Sam closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing and his body movements. When he opened his eyes, he was under the impression that he was in the night club that housed the nest of vampires. He blinked and looked around and then down and found that Sasha was still there. That was odd since they didn't take Sasha on that job. He looked up and saw Angela moving next to someone that was recognizable and his breath hitched.

He remembered that night. It was after he overheard her talking to someone and heard the name Ruby. They were talking to each other and they didn't even like each other. It was a legitimate excuse that it was siren juice that did that but he didn't buy it then.

"Well Sam, you keep saying that you're the strong one. Did it ever occur to you that you were just a pawn?" Angela had stopped what she was doing and was looking at him. She looked at him with that pouting look and stood there. She looked around. "Funny how things end up."

"You're not her."

"Oh but I am. I'm who you want me to be." Angela looked at him with a firm look. "This whole thing. It was nothing more than that hell bitch reminding me the one thing we all have. We all have a weakness."

Sam looked at Sasha. She had moved closed and nosed his hand. "Look you were…"

"That close to her? Of course. Sensitive sniffer and now I'm following like a dog. Of course you are the strong one. You can resist right?"

Sam ignored this version of Angela. This wasn't her. True she could get in your face but… this was not her. He murmured, "You don't even like her."

"True I don't. The only reason I tolerate her ass is because of you. I give you a lot more credit than most are willing to give. You couldn't even trust me with the biggest thing of your life." Angela leaned forward and looked at Sam in the eye. "You couldn't trust me with the fact that you were drinking demon blood. I had to find out through other means including watching you drive off that night in Sioux City. And you wanted me back after we separated." She turned to leave. She paused at the door and looked at Sam. "It will only get worse from here. Will we be able to see it through?"

Sam frowned at that since it was not part of the normal conversation. It didn't sound right to him. It was like she was saying she was going through the same thing. That sounded ridiculous. She was highly reluctant to drink blood and demon blood she wouldn't touch unless it was the last recourse. No there was something else going on with this.

Sasha nosed Sam's hand again and gently mouthed it. That sparked a reaction with Sam. He looked down and saw Sasha release his hand. That was most definitely real. Making a slight face, he reached over and wiped the drool onto Sasha's fur while rubbing her head. He made a motion and Sasha joined him on the cot and he took to petting her. It was something to do and it just felt good even though his thoughts kept coming back to what the hallucination of Angela said.

"I know you're not real but you feel more real than anything else in here," Sam mused as he rubbed Sasha.

Sasha made a slight noise of acknowledgement. She had stayed behind because her alpha had given her the command to remain behind. She sensed something wasn't right with her alpha's alpha and she could smell it. It got stronger the moment she went down the stairs alone. She followed it right to the iron door and sniffed. She could hear noise on the other side and continued to sniff.

It was when Sam started making noises that sounded like distress that she started whining. She tried to get in by scratching the door. She whined at the door and continued to scratch it. It brought down her alpha's beta and she beseeched him to fix it. That was when he let her go in and now she was in this place with Sam and she could tell that he was in a bad way. She could smell the nasty scent that she was familiar with from previous jobs but it was different. The only presence in the room was Sam so she just laid there.

Sam was soothed by having Sasha there. It was a risky of seeming girly but he went for it and leaned over to hug the pup. It was definitely real. The fur and everything was real and Sasha was her usual softness. One thing he knew was that in the evenings Angela spent a good thirty minutes to an hour brushing the pup's fur when they were on the road and with the oddest of things: a curry comb. He had caught her brushing the dog's fur one night not long after she joined them.

"_What are you doing Angie?" It was a cover of sorts since it was one of those times he actually barged in without knocking._

_ "Having a girl's night," Angela replied with a grin on her face, not at all put out that he came in. It wasn't the first or the last time he was going to do that. "I'm brushing Sasha's fur and then she'll brush my hair and then we'll paint each other's toenails."_

_ Sam couldn't help but laugh at the sheer ridiculousness at that. It was an interesting picture to think of and he could only just imagine what Dean would start thinking of about that. "That is definitely better than hearing Dean give Absolution a spit and shine."_

_ "I know. That's why I gave him that chore tonight," Angela replied with a smile. She went back to brushing Sasha's fur. "Puppy brushing is much less explicit."_

_ "You don't know Dean," Sam replied as he took a seat in the chair._

_ "Oh but I do. At least I try to anticipate what he may come up with." She ran her hand over where she had brushed. It was rhythmic with her going over with the brush and then her hand. "For a dog like Sasha it's important to have good maintenance on the fur."_

_ Sam watched her as she brushed the dog's hair with the brush and then ran through it with her hand. Sasha was certainly enjoying it and yipped at him. It was then she offered the brush to him and he took it and started brushing the pup's fur. It wasn't long before Angela was moving around and brushing hers and he couldn't help but watch her._

_ She brushed her shoulder-length hair and it glistened in the light. Suddenly the locks changed into Medusa snakes. Sam backed away and gasped before screaming when a snake lunged towards him to bite him…_

Sam kept his eyes shut and whimpered. His arms tightened around Sasha but it didn't bother the pup. She gave a low moaning sound meant to be soothing. She adjusted her position slightly and relaxed. Her tail wagged a bit until it curled around his hip. She could feel Sam's fingers run through her fur in a squeezing motion. It was a bad dream.

For the next couple of hours Sam curled up on the cot with Sasha. He drew comfort from the familiar softness and warmth of her fur until he managed to wake up again. He blinked and realized that he was holding onto Sasha and she was just lying there snoozing. He released his hold on her but rubbed her fur affectionately and sniffed as he sat up. It looked like nothing changed much since the last time he looked around. He hunched his shoulders and sniffed some more and looked around and rubbed his arms. _Someone help me, please. Let me out._

* * *

**A/N:** Angie makes the choice to go to the Gauntlet and Sam is still having hallucinations. What the hell? Keep watching for more The Calm before the Storm...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When it comes to hiding in plain sight especially when it involves an extensive underground network, you want to select places that most people wouldn't think about looking at twice. Depending on the location of the chosen entrance/meeting place, it could be anything ranging from a condemned building, to a housewife's house or an exclusive mansion that looks good in movies for the reclusive millionaire.

Angela eyed the valet like he was a bird with the intent of committing the felony of pooping on her car. This branch of the Gauntlet certainly was high end and she was a bit suspicious of it. To be honest she was more comfortable going into a condemned building or one that had a resident ghost that wasn't on the verge of going crazy. The last time she was in super rich quarters, it was like being disguised in the middle of a cotillion. It was overall stifling since there were rules to be followed.

"Your keys, Miss," the valet insisted again with his hand held out.

Angela looked at Cerebus who looked at her with his look. She sighed as she put the car in park and took the keys out of the ignition. She held it out to the valet and said, "It better not be scratched."

"We'll take care of it," the valet replied as he eyed Cerebus as he jumped out of the car.

"I'll believe that when I see it," Angela replied as she reached in the back and grabbed her pack. She gave a last look at the valet as he got into the Camaro. She then motioned with her hand and Cerebus followed.

The last time she paid a visit to the Gauntlet was to secure a vessel that came from a city long gone. Supposedly it had some sacred oil and the technique was lost. Other times she had come to retrieve things… so she knew what she was doing. She just hoped that it wasn't going to be like a session with the Host. It depended upon which entrance and who ran it.

Walking up the stairs, she felt out of place since she was dressed like she was for a hunting job. She realized she was wearing the chocolate colored jacket that looked like Sam's. She recalled Satet's comments about her picking that one because of a certain Winchester and cleared her throat slightly. As much as she tried to hide her feelings she knew that she was slowly becoming more transparent. That fact alone was enough to scare her and normally would send her running to the hills. Yet it seemed more and more after the wedding, that idea was becoming less and less appealing.

The guard who opened the door was dressed like a butler but that didn't fool Angela one bit. If she were to lash out with a fist, the butler and two others nearby would be over her and trying to apprehend her and that would have nothing to do with the police. In short, it would not be very pretty at all. So she nodded politely and walked in, making sure that Cerebus was inside with her.

"The lovely Lady de Medici! It has been a long time."

Angela clicked her tongue on her teeth and looked up to see who it was that addressed her. She replied looking around, "I don't go by my family name really."

"Of course. My bad," said the suavely dressed man as he descended the stairs. "Still I just can't help but address a beautiful lady as per her right in terms of title." He came to stand in front of Angela and took her hand for a shake.

Angela accepted the handshake and noted the light brown scruff around his mouth that was groomed for scruff and his light brown short cropped hair was slicked into a sharp look. She replied, "Seems like you've moved up in the family business Josiah. Whatever happened to the two story house in suburbia of Sioux Falls?"

Josiah chuckled as he picked up a bourbon from the tray that was held out to him. He offered one to Angela but when she refused he waved the tray and sipped his drink. "I did move up milady. You'd be surprised how much a mansion keeps people away."

"Not to mention that you can live a lavish life. You always were one to live on the fast track," Angela countered as she looked around. She looked at the man who was smiling at her. "Just as long as you are minding yourself."

Josiah's eyes flickered to reveal the slit like pupils of a cat or snake. "You really know how to spoil fun," he replied as he lifted his right to reveal a watch like band around his wrist. He sighed as he took another drink. "As you well know, considering your family ties, my family has been branded into the service of the Gauntlet. The other family was pressed into service for the prisons. We are the last of our kind."

"Your ancestors should have thought of that before trying to destroy a peaceful people," Angela countered as she looked at Josiah in the eye. "We all have some tie to the past Josiah. For some it is a more visible mark and others it just comes to bite us in the ass."

Josiah looked at her for a moment. He then smiled, "True. If you must know for your mommy and daddy, I don't go for that. I just have to live with the nifty bracelet that more or less would kill me if I betray the secrets of the Gauntlet or betray the Champions that cross my path. I may get a kick out of what goes on here but I like this life."

"No doubt that you do," Angela replied with a slight smile. "So tell me Josiah, will you get a kick out of seeing me in action again?"

Josiah grinned as he took another sip of his bourbon. His teeth clicked against his tongue and replied, "What other reason would you have for coming to the north Midwest branch of the Gauntlet? Now would it have something to do with what a certain client named… Bobby Singer placed in our vaults?"

"I thought you were more circumspect," Angela countered.

"Don't be shy now Angie," Josiah said as he finished his drink and set it down. He led the way to a room that could have been considered a study of some sort. It was full of artifacts and books. He didn't have to look to know that she followed him. "You know that part of being a client of the Gauntlet is to have the list of authorized access users. I set up the accounts."

Angela rolled her eyes slightly, "Right. You set up a couple of mine."

"And no one else to access them. Do you want to upgrade those accounts? At least just in case one of your new friends needs to access them?"

"Maybe later," she replied, "But I do need to access the account set up by Bobby Singer." She looked at Josiah and added, "As the authorized user I request retrieval."

Josiah grinned at her. He clicked his tongue and let his eyes flicker again to betray what he really was. "So you really want to go through the Gauntlet?"

"Yes," Angela replied without hesitation. "I am willing to go through the Gauntlet."

"Well this is a treat," Josiah said. He studied Angela a moment and noted her demeanor. He raised his brow suspiciously, "But this is not just about that account is it? There is something else you want. Now what could that be?" Josiah took a couple of steps forward and looked deeper. He started circling her, "Remember whatever you say I can tell if it is a lie."

Angela let Josiah circle her even though it felt very uncomfortable. She knew full well what it meant coming to the Gauntlet so she was taking the time to compose her answer. She knew she couldn't lie but there were ways of keeping all the dirty secrets from being exposed. It was the reason why Josiah's kind were bound to this service apart from the few notorious things they did in the past before anyone now would dare to care about.

"I'm waiting."

Angela closed her eyes and gritted her teeth slightly, "I need to access the clandestine vault."

"Oh ho I knew it!" Josiah clapped his hands. "I knew that you were going to ask for the Alchemist." He laughed like he got his Christmases early. "All these years you resisted expanding your horizons and now you decide to tap into it? I wonder why?"

"I thought your job was to provide the service. Not ask questions." Angela looked at Josiah with a slight knowing look. "Yes I want to see the Alchemist and as part of the access package he opens the door for the account."

Josiah looked her in the eye and narrowed his, "And I presume that the drooling mess on four legs is going with you?"

"Cerebus will be accompanying me and he will not emerge into full hellhound glory unless it is absolutely necessary. Won't you boy?" Angela smiled at Cerebus who had been waiting patiently the entire time. As a result he gave a bark of agreement stating that he was going to behave. She looked at Josiah and smiled sweetly, "See?"

Josiah made a slight face and then nodded, "Alright fine. The Alchemist will be prepared for your arrival." He snapped his fingers and the guard at the door disappeared to do what he was to do. "I still want to know why this one and why now?"

"You aren't supposed to ask questions."

"And you are evading the answer." Josiah leaned in close and moved his head as if to sniff about. "We're not on a desert island here. We hear things and interestingly enough there was an incident nearly three weeks ago with some interesting reports. Some building damage attributed to a car running into a motel." His voice had a suggestive tone to it as he continued to study her some more and enjoyed it.

Angela felt her lip twitch. _That_ was a night that she really didn't want to think too much of. It was basically her pulling off the kid gloves and getting ready to get down and dirty with it. It was also a night of partially unexplained injuries and queries about what happened. The upside was that she thoroughly kicked Ruby's ass but the skank escaped and she got the satisfaction of seeing true fear in the demon's eyes. In short she was the reason Sam had been strung out and forced out his secret. In a way she was responsible and instigated it.

"Now I am well aware how pissed you can get and considering it was in the vicinity of a client of the Gauntlet and a former… friend of yours."

"I need to understand a few things about me. The Alchemist knows how to point in the direction I need to know. Then he can let me get what I need from Bobby Singer's account. That's it." Angela turned to look at Josiah in the eye. She gave the intention that she wasn't going to be cowed by anyone or anything.

Josiah returned the stare and met the challenge of it. He liked the fact that she didn't back down once. She didn't even blink. He was the one that broke contact and he smiled, "I've always liked you. I've read everything about what you've done and for the illustrious Kuran clan not to mention that you are warrior royalty apart from being the Lady's favorite."

Angela looked at Josiah and replied, "Oh I'm everyone's favorite on some level. Can this be done and within a timely manner?"

"Everything's being arranged as we speak," Josiah replied being jovial. He waved his arms like it was a free for all. "In twenty minutes you go through the door and spend as much needed time with the Alchemist and the Gauntlet. Makes me wish I was a client." Josiah gave a laugh finding it humorous.

"I bet you have clients who think that too."

"I do," Josiah replied in a matter of fact tone. "In fact they often send a note saying that they wish it when they send in their payments."

"What a surprise," Angela quipped.

"Not really considering how clients fear and respect us that serve the Gauntlet." Josiah led the way out of the room and through the mansion. He passed certain halls that were decorated to inspire awe and surprise with portraits of previous surveyors of this branch and of the whole system. "Of course most of them are of the high class and think everyone is beneath them. You on the other hand, royalty and wealthy and you treat both sides of the track the same."

"We're all from the same place in the end," Angela offered as she followed with Cerebus next to her. His nails clicked rhythmically on the floor and it sort of soothed the tension a bit. She glanced at the walls and noticed the paintings and the general old look. It was like being in Bruce Wayne's mansion and she almost laughed at the thought if she ever mentioned it to Dean.

They came to a stop in front of a wrought iron door. Josiah took a set of keys out of his jacket pocket and it looked ridiculous since they were old keys. Angela adjusted her backpack on her shoulder as he picked the key. This was it. She took a breath as she heard the click of the key being slid into the lock. It was followed by the creak of the metal hinges and stairs that led down to what she needed to do. She looked at Josiah and he motioned, "The way is open my sweet princess."

"So it is."

* * *

The mountaintop scenery was picturesque. It was the type of scenery that artists dream of finding to paint. Everything seemed to be laid out perfectly with the snowcapped mountains and the greenery from the valleys of the farms below. It was peaceful and often a refuge when someone needed to find peace or they just needed a quiet place to work.

"When I heard that you were here, I just had to see for myself."

Gabriel had turned from his musings to see a familiar sight and gave his most charming of smiles, "Isis. I thought you'd be somewhere in one of the oases at Karnak. What brings you to the snowy mountains?"

Isis took in the charming smile and returned one of her own. Normally she would be dressed in traditional Egyptian wear but this time she was dressed in a linen suit of the 1920s complete with a hat. It clashed with the architecture of the place but it also worked. The only thing that showed who she was appeared in the form of a lapel pin of her cartouche and that was all. She smiled and replied, "Oh I go on tour on occasion and I am a welcome guest. What I am curious is why a certain Trickster is here. Care to tell me that… Loki?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't think I don't know about how you worked your way around the rules in terms of the gods, Gabriel," Isis replied as she leaned against the rail of the parapet. "It is a nice cover considering that everyone has family problems. It allows you to see Wosret more often."

"And I'm glad that no one has said a word," Gabriel replied as he turned to look at the goddess. "Thanks."

"Well I have a soft spot for the people that have been touched by my favorite," Isis teased. She knew full well the circumstances how Gabriel and Wosret met and what happened then. It had almost been a fiasco since Gabriel was not a warrior of the nobility but he was respected since he was of another class.

"And I was hoping it was my charming personality and good looks," Gabriel countered with a grin.

"That certainly helps but that is not why you are here are you?"

Gabriel sighed as he looked around. "You know I never got why humans could be so awed or so pissed at the way we could be so perceptive. Now I do."

"Not so nice? I always enjoy having it given back to me. My favorite has a knack for it and she's not afraid of godly punishment."

"My fault," Gabriel admitted.

"I think we can all claim that," Isis replied with a smile. "And it is why we love her like we do. I know you love her like a brother does his sibling otherwise you wouldn't be here seeking answers."

"She…" Gabriel couldn't really put into words what he wanted to say. "She is important to me and not in what the rest of the world knows of her."

"Oh I know. She's my daughter and Satet's daughter. We know." Isis looked at the angel and asked, "What are you here for?"

Gabriel wasn't sure of where to begin. He then said, "Well what I want to know could best be answered by Caleb and he's been here for the last millennia or two. He knows more about the ether of the universe than all of us put together. Dad pretty much made it so. So that's why I'm here and that is to talk to him."

Isis nodded and from behind her came a tall man with a lanky muscular build and dressed in Buddhist robes. Gabriel raised his brow in surprise and said, "Caleb, when did you switch sides?"

Caleb looked at his brother with piercing look from grey eyes and smiled, "I've always been on Father's side. You know that better than anyone." He grabbed his brother in a hug. "It's been too long Brother."

"Well I better go now. Amaterasu will be wondering why I am late to tea and will hold it against me for at least a decade," Isis said with a smile before leaving the two brothers alone.

Caleb looked at her thoughtfully as she left, "She reminds me of another unique individual. Similar posture and very much a lady but when given enough reason to…" He made a slight gesture with his head and looked back at his brother. "I know you wouldn't come here looking for me unless you had some concerns about a person or more specifically a charge."

Gabriel knew that he couldn't joke with Caleb. He personally thought that Caleb needed to develop a sense of humor but he liked the angel. He wasn't an archangel but he was pretty good in a fight. He came right out and said it, "It's about Cat."

"I thought so." Caleb patted his brother's shoulder and motioned him to follow. He led the way down to the gardens. At his brother's trepidation, he said, "Don't worry. The priests are in prayer. The gardens are fairly isolated."

Gabriel followed his brother. "Caleb, seriously, why are you dress like a monk? Do you miss the robe fashion two thousand years ago?"

"There is a saying that humans like to say. It goes 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do'. And interesting turn of phrase I think." Caleb looked at Gabriel as he stopped in the middle of the garden. "Gabriel, you came here about the Malachi…"

"Please don't call her that."

"You are here about her," Caleb continued, correcting slightly, "You have some questions and it is related to something that you are not sure of what to make of."

"Well it's no secret that she is a healer. You were the one that told me that when she freaked out when she was forty," Gabriel pointed out. There was no need to beat around the bush with Caleb. It wasn't like he would purposely mislead his brother with jokes; he just needed to know a few things and the best source was this brother and to be nice to him.

"It was a bit interesting when you showed up like a human parent worried about a cough their baby caught," Caleb replied and actually chuckled. He was amused at the look that Gabriel got on his face. "How is she? I suspect that the rumors going around are true; that she is pulling 'pestilences' out and either sending them to hell or killing them."

"You know about that eh?"

"That is the more current I've heard. I was most interested in the other, more rare exhibitions."

Gabriel thought about it some. "The day her new marks appeared?"

Caleb gave a small smile, "Of course. I was wondering when she would ever tap into the vast reserves she is capable of." He turned towards one of the trees and plucked one of the blossoms. "The people here have this story about the cherry blossoms. Interesting tale." He turned to look at Gabriel. "I was surprised at the frequency of the demon purge and then that business at a motel… You have been keeping an eye on things?"

"Not 24/7 Caleb. Cassy is still up in arms and I don't blame him." Gabriel looked out at the landscape. "Point is that I did leave him to fend for himself."

"Castiel?" Caleb then thought about it some and then remembered, "That was amazing what she did. I never thought it would be possible but I guess there are things about healers that even I don't know."

"Cat is special, Caleb. I knew that when for some odd reason when she was born. I had to be the numbskull and ignore it until I met her when she was five." Gabriel looked around and sighed. "Caleb, I think something is going on with Cat."

"Tell me."

It was how they usually started conversations regarding her. Gabriel knew he could go to Caleb about her healer abilities ever since she discovered them. She had freaked out when they showed up and once she learned about them she was on and off about them. After her time with Alistair, she gave up on them and went along her way.

Looking at Caleb, Gabriel said, "She came to me and asked me to detox someone… from demon blood."

"You know that the cold turkey method is the only for that." Caleb gave a look at Gabriel. "You didn't use it again did you?"

"Had no choice," Gabriel replied and looked away. "Anyway she had reason to. I told her I couldn't and tried getting her to look into it by herself or try and experiment with it. Right in the middle of our conversation though she… acted strangely."

"What do you mean?"

"She stared off into space and then started talking. I assume that it is the person she is helping with the detox from what she said." Gabriel was careful not to mention too much. Even though it may be found out sooner or later, he would rather it later and on his Cat's own terms. Besides there was always the possibility that there were some, and he could name a few, that would not like the idea of her having something or someone that would mean more to her than the job. "I figured it must be a subconscious or unconscious tap into the source of her powers."

Caleb studied Gabriel. He didn't call his brother out on it but he sensed that there was more to this query than meets the eye. He didn't want to risk having Gabriel fly into an archangel fit, not that he would, but why risk it? He prepared himself for the possibility that Gabriel was going to give enough but not the whole picture. "Well…"

* * *

**A/N:** Angie's going into the Gauntlet and it feels like a deal was made but it wasn't. Gabe goes to learn more from an old friend and brother. Stay tuned for more The Calm before the Storm...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When meeting a new contact that could be a potential asset, it is always best to find out everything you can on the person you aim to recruit. You want to know their habits, their lifestyle; any piece of information that you can get on them. In the business of hunting things, it is always best to have the most information you can get since there are usually at least several things that share the same characteristics. For other purposes that have nothing to do with hunting, the same still applies but it is personal and more is at stake.

Angela felt like she was back in the cave system she went through for all the formalities of receiving Absolution. There was something about the whole thing that just reeked of mysteriousness and a little bit of the supernatural. It was part of the reason why some beings really liked being old fashioned despite the advances of the day. This was no different at least for this guy that she was going to see.

The 'office' of the Alchemist, or at least this one, was very much like the office of an alchemist back in the days of Nicholas Flamel. There were apparatus and books of everything that talked about everything and anything. There were some artifacts that had ancient origins and from different points around the world and some were more modern and some were things that she didn't know if she wanted to know. It was reminiscent of the lab at the garrison of the Illuminati.

There was one thing that held her interest. It was sitting on a desk that was actually clutter free. Angela decided there was reason to be interested in it. Most people tended to give status to certain things and that status is often conveyed by how it is displayed within the place of residence. Most people mount it on the wall or place it on a mantel; anything elevated indicates value and if you're a thief it is what you would go for. In this case the object in question was on a table desk that was hip level for her.

It was a totem that belonged on an altar. It was nothing out of the ordinary and looked like it came from some tribal group in Africa. Haley came to mind when she saw it since it was made of that dark wood the figurines she had seen were made of. She wondered where the Celtic African juju princess was and if she was happy and doing okay. Her attention went to the little wooden men and for a moment she thought she saw something but decided it was an effect from the lighting of the torches and lanterns. She was still drawn towards it and peered to take a look and her hand reached out to tentatively touch it.

"Well I never figured that the next authorized user would be a healer. And a dhampir too. Interesting combination."

Angela looked up from her inspection to see a man dress in the robes of a Dominican friar… or was it a Jesuit? She decided the latter since the Jesuits were the ones that were into secular and religious subjects and into scientific inquiry. He was tall and lanky and had a scholarly look about him but there was something familiar about him. She needed time to figure that out so she replied, "I know I was confused when I found that out myself."

"A sense of humor and with a hint of self-loathing."

Angela made a slight smile but it was gone in a flash. She said, "Well certain things come from experiences that we'd rather not talk about."

"But it has everything to do with why you requested to see me first before opening the door to your vault." The Alchemist looked at her without blinking an eye and studied her. "You have lived for centuries with a gift that is in the blood and have been forced to endure unexplained phenomena when things happen."

"I know what happens with my abilities. I heal."

"But what you have been doing is not healing in the sense of what most know it as. Of course purging a demon and eradicating it is seen as healing in the grand scheme of things." The Alchemist moved towards the totem and put a hand on it. "It is a skill that average healers can't do."

"I'm sure that they can. It needs to develop," Angela offered. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear this since it sounded like it was going to put her in a whole new level of freak. And Sam thought he was a freak for having demon blood in him.

"They can't," the Alchemist replied shaking his head slightly. "Like anything else in the world that is created, there are different kinds of healers. As the favorite saying goes the ability is in all healers but for some it is barely a measurable whisper."

"And I got lucky. Is that what you're telling me?"

The Alchemist looked at Angela with a look as he rubbed the wood on the totem. "Why do you make it sound like a bad thing?"

"Because in my experience, being special like this gets you nothing but trouble. It's not the you're special and you're going to be the doctor or lawyer type of thing. It's the you're special and you can save the world or you will be used to burn the world thing," Angela explained in a condescending tone. "The same thing dogs me because I have two talents that are one or the other, not both, in my race and my full blooded cousins."

"Then why are you here?"

Angela looked at the Alchemist. Like with Josiah, she couldn't lie but she wasn't going to spill the beans on everything. There were some things that should remain private. "Because I want to know what I can do as a healer to find a way better than conventional methods."

The Alchemist narrowed his eyes playfully and shook his finger at her with a slight smile, "Very businesslike and also using a scientific query approach. Appeal to the Jesuit traditions. Very clever." He walked over to where there was a book on a book stand and flipped a few pages. He paused and leaned over it and asked, "But really, why are you here?"

"I told you," Angela insisted.

"You've spent too many years in the field. You're used to telling people what they want to hear and evade the truth when they get too close. Is that how you treat your new family?"

Angela looked up sharply at that. "What are you talking about?"

"Such is your nature." The Alchemist motioned towards his temple and then at her. "I may live here in this part of the Gauntlet but we hear things. It's not hard to figure out that the cosmic battle coming has your hand in it especially when certain things began to happen… like a foiled attempt at the resurrection of an Ancient."

Angela felt her lip tremble a bit. She looked around. She knew that the only way out was forward. That was how it worked in the Gauntlet. Bobby would have known that since he opened the account. It was always a surprise and made her feel vulnerable when someone managed to hit something that was close to the things that mattered to her.

It is an ironclad rule in something like the spy game that you are not supposed to get close to assets or contacts. You treat them as expendable. The same goes when you live a few centuries and doing jobs that people would call you crazy for and occasionally will require a broken law or two. Getting too close plays on your emotions and when you develop irrevocable feelings for someone, it can become fair game for anyone that would want to exploit you.

The Alchemist studied Angela as he leaned over the book. He gave a slight sigh and then said, "This is not an attempt to humiliate you. There is something that you must understand." He paused to make sure that she was listening. The look she was giving had him appreciate how strong she truly was despite what happened to her. He continued, "What makes a healer who they are is that they are honest not just to the people they treat but to themselves. You have to know how true you are to yourself in who you are."

Angela studied the Alchemist. She looked at the totem on the table and studied it in the glittering light. When she moved her head it looked like it was alive. She wondered about it and stared at it unaware that the Alchemist was watching everything she was doing and very interested in it. She was focused on the totem when she said, "She's there for us Sam. She's the only thing real."

She stared in space for a few moments until she blinked and looked around. She looked at the Alchemist who was staring at her and asked, "What?"

"Interesting," was all he said.

Angela frowned at him and then shrugged at that. She sighed, "I see your point. I want to know more about how I can help someone I care about detox from demon blood."

"You know that the traditional way is cold turkey."

"And that it has the potential to kill." Angela looked away and then at the Alchemist, "But I know it can be done. It was done for me. I want to give him a chance."

"Why? I am guessing that he is important to what is happening in the world now. What if he is supposed to be the way he is in order for things to happen?"

"Then fuck that and don't get started with destiny crap," Angela warned. "He's a person." She calmed herself down. It would do her no good to become emotional over the whole thing since tears were unlikely to move the Alchemist. They were the kind of guys that could be depended upon to make the cold calculated decisions that governments wanted when deciding whether or not to bomb a village because a terrorist was hiding there. "People aren't tools for the deities to play with. Most gods understand that and I believe the Creator understands that."

"One can't live without the other. In order to begin an end must happen."

"And I don't care."

"What is it about this person that would have you seek the impossible? What is he to you other than some human?"

Angela paused as she thought about what she was doing here. She looked down at the ground to think about everything up to this point and her conversation with the Alchemist. Normally she would have blown up about it digging so close to her personal life and she would have begged off the whole thing but she stayed. True she was desperate and she was willing to say anything but the more she thought about it, the more she understood what the Alchemist meant and was trying to tell her.

The Alchemist watched her. He was prepared to help her anyway but he sensed that there were things that hindered her progress in her gift. Besides if she was going to confront the challenges in the Gauntlet she needed to be ready. He straightened up when she looked up at him with a determined gleam in her eye but it was full of something that had been so cleverly hidden. "Well?"

"I am doing this for him because I love him."

The Alchemist gave a slight smile and nodded, "Good."

* * *

Dean paced around the salvage yard. He was anxious about this whole damn thing but he knew it was the right thing to do for his brother even though it pained him to do it. He knew it was hard on Angela and he had to marvel that she was being the strong one out of all three of them. He figured she would be a wreck like he was. Instead she was off looking for a means to help Sam even though the odds were impossible. Probably it would be considered against his better judgment giving his support for her to do whatever she was doing but it just seemed right especially after the past few weeks.

_I walked into a pole, Dean._

After she messed with him yet again by revealing their payment to be a dumb stuffed animal, she appeared in the morning with a nasty bruise on her cheek and a fat lip and her movements were stiff. It turned out it was a couple of cracked and bruised ribs and some bruises all over her body. It didn't help that there had been some noise outside their motel and in the morning it looked like a semi-truck had gone by but there was no truck. There was plenty of damage and the people of the town and guests were looking at the damage.

Dean had been suspicious of the whole thing and it didn't take much for him to put two and two together. He knew that a major fight had taken place and his girl had been involved with it. Sam came to the same conclusion that he did in that she had caused it and they both questioned her to the point where she snapped and made the Impala shake. She did admit that she had been in a fight and that it was something that involved a stalker.

Dean had always been suspicious about who it was she really fought. He ended up being a douche when she insisted that they leave when Castiel was in trouble. She kept looking in the direction they took to get to meet the angel and insisting that something was wrong and that he was in trouble. She tried stealing the car to leave and go help and then tried to steal other cars including a highway patrol car to leave. In the end they gave her strong sedatives and then that happened.

Now they were here and Dean was sure that she was pissed at him and she took it out on those demons. He made a face and he continued to pace and kicked something in frustration. She had to see Sam like that. Dean wasn't a blind idiot. Seeing Sam suck demon blood had to be disappointing or something to her. They both knew she had a low opinion of the fact that she needed blood in order to heal from severe injuries and Dean was certain that she was disgusted by the whole thing.

"Cas!"

Dean continued to pace some more. He had been calling for the angel because he needed to do something, turn to someone who could help. Normally he would ask Angela but she wasn't there and he needed answers. He needed something. It didn't help that he was thinking of the events over the past few weeks and that he had been a douche with her. He knew she was close to Castiel and he was quick to come if she ever asked.

He turned sharply on his heel and was about ready to scream. His patience was at an end and he was just… Then he heard the familiar flapping of wings. He turned to see the familiar holy tax accountant look of Castiel under one of the lights in the salvage yard. He was somewhat relieved since he had been stunned by the angel's behavior the last time they talked and also annoyed because he had been out there calling for him. He let out, "Well, it's about time. I've been screaming myself hoarse for two and half hours now and it only takes one time for you to answer Angie."

"What do you want?"

"You can start with what the hell happened in Illinois," Dean countered, not liking the way Castiel was talking to him.

Castiel walked towards Dean with his hands in his pocket. "What do you mean?"

"Cut the crap," Dean said angrily, "You were gonna tell me something."

"Well nothing of import," Castiel replied.

Dean looked at the angel not quite believing what he was hearing. He knew Castiel had something important to say and if he had to, he would literally move the world to at least let Angela know. Dean wasn't stupid. He knew that the angel had feelings for his girl and the angel would be the first to appear if something happened to her. "You got ass-reamed in heaven but it was not of import?"

"Dean, I can't." Castiel looked at Dean with a warning look.

"The hell with that. Angie knew something was wrong and I didn't listen to her. She knew Cas. She was willing to steal a cop car to get to you," Dean rambled on. "She was obeying the other half of that guardian-charge crap you understand. Hell not even that. She was doing it for you."

Castiel looked at Dean. He hated to do this. "I'm sorry," he said and turned to walk away. "Get to the reason you really called me. It's about Sam, right?"

Dean watched the back of the angel. He couldn't believe this. It was like a male version of Angela when she switched topics to get to the business at hand. Yet she was capable of showing how sorry she was to change the subject. That was the major difference. He couldn't dwell on it at the moment now and asked, "Can he do it? Kill Lilith? Stop the apocalypse?"

Castiel looked up at the sky searching. His attention was elsewhere but he heard the question. He replied, "Possibly, yes." He turned to look at Dean and continued, "But as you know he'd have to take certain steps."

"Crank up the hell-blood regimen and hope that he's as strong as Angie," Dean said. He shook his head at the thought. "Hell she should be looking for Lilith. That bitch is scared of her." It was a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Castiel could see it and felt sympathy somewhat. "Consuming the amount it would take to kill Lilith would change your brother forever. Most likely, he would become the next creature that you would feel compelled to kill."

Dean was silent for a moment. "I haven't tried to kill nor do I feel compelled to kill Angie," he said.

"She's the Malachi, Dean."

"And I don't give a shit what that means to you and your dick ass brothers. She's family. She may not be blood but she is family."

"Don't confuse the issue, Dean. In the end she will do what she was born to do." Castiel looked at Dean and studied him. "There's no reason this would have to come to pass if you are intent on keeping them out of harm's way. We believe it's you, Dean. Not your brother."

Dean looked at Castiel as the angel moved back to stand in front of him. He was well aware about what the angel's thought. Castiel told him that the one who began it was the one that could end it. "And you mean with the help of the Malachi? With Angie there at the helm?"

"The only question for us is whether you're willing to accept it," Castiel intoned. "Stand up like she has and accept your role. You are the one who will stop it."

Dean felt like he was between a rock and a hard place. He knew what the angels wanted and the way he saw it, whoever was the one to stop it, Angela was going to be there no matter what. The question was which of the two was the lesser evil? He could understand now where she had been coming from with her little bouts of wisdom. The whole thing about letting Sam jump to see if he could fly, she was not just talking about Sam standing on his own; she had been talking about life in general. He knew she had made hard choices and she always tried to make the best one though anything concerning a potential relationship was a no go.

Dean looked aside in the distance. As it were, things weren't going too well. He looked at the angel and said, "If I do this… Sammy doesn't have to?"

"If it gives you comfort to see it that way," Castiel replied as he eyed the elder Winchester.

"God, you're a dick these days. I wonder if you were like this when you met her."

Castiel frowned at that. He said nothing though and let Dean walk and think it out. He knew that if push came to shove, Dean would do it just so his brother wouldn't have to. It was inevitable that Angela would be involved. It was written and she was on the path. The other part was Dean.

Dean walked away to think about it. He weighed everything. He knew that no matter what she was in. It was just a matter of making her suffer with the potential fact that if Sam stopped it, he wouldn't be the Sam she was in love with anymore. Or he could do it and she would be free to pursue that. Either way it came down to one thing. Sighing and feeling the faintest pricks of tears he said, "Fine, I'm in."

"You give yourself over wholly to the service of God and his angels?"

"Yeah, exactly," Dean said, trying to not be short with the angel. This really sucked.

"Say it."

Dean frowned and turned to look at the angel. He saw the look that Castiel gave him. They were serious about this and he wondered if she had to say something similar. Taking the plunge, Dean said, "I give myself over wholly to serve God and you guys." He walked over to stand in front of Castiel feeling like he was making a deal with the devil again.

"You swear to follow his will and his word as swiftly and obediently as you did your own father's?"

Dean rolled his eyes at that. "Yes, I swear. Now what?"

"Now you wait and we call on you when it's time." Castiel looked at Dean intently to make sure that Dean was sincere in his conviction. Now everything was set. There was just one thing left. "Now, where is the Malachi?"

"You know she has a name, Cas," Dean intone in a low voice. He really didn't give a rat's ass what her title was to the angels. 'Warrior princess' held a hell of a lot more warmth and totally described his girl. "You should try using it."

Castiel stared hard at Dean and repeated, "Where is the Malachi?"

Dean really thought Castiel had turned into a dick. He replied, "Don't you know? You always seem to know where she is."

Castiel looked away at something that seemed interesting on the shelf. He replied, "She… cut me off."

"She cut you off? She did that?" Dean was surprised at that revelation. He got that Castiel would know where she was and would come if needed. He had been given hints that it was a two way street. He had just never seen it in action… until now. "Man, she must think you're a dick."

"I need to know where the Malachi is, Dean," Castiel replied almost sounding annoyed.

"Damn it Cas. She has a name. It's Angie," Dean countered angrily. He hated that he had done what he had done. It was like the last act of a desperate man. "And you think I'm going to tell you where she is when it's clear she doesn't want you to know. She's probably pissed at you."

"Dean. She is needed."

"Well good luck finding her," Dean said. "You got what you wanted. Go face a challenge. She would." He started walking away.

Castiel frowned a bit and looked away. He then looked at Dean and said, "Dean, please. Where is Angela?"

Dean paused but didn't look back. "She's busy helping Sam… I don't know where."

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like Angie meets the Alchemist and is going to learn a few things. Meanwhile Dean agrees to be the angels' bitch and decides not to tell Cas where Angie is. Keep watching for more The Calm before the Storm...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sometimes when trying to find the answer you seek, you often find that one doesn't exist. No matter how hard you try some solutions aren't simple fixes. They are complicated and involve processes that require crossing borders that one is either unwilling to or can't cross and not from a lack of talent but from a lack of readiness. Angela sighed as she closed the book she had been looking at and looked at the Alchemist. "So this is it."

"I am sorry that it is not the answer you seek but as you see, there are some things that require time and the patience to develop." The Alchemist motioned towards the book and the mess that was left in the middle of the floor. "As you can see it wasn't all for naught. You have learned and have begun development on other skills."

Angela gave a sad smile, "I know and I still feel like I am near the end of the line. All that is left is to walk through the door."

"That which you seek is a possibility. Few have been able to discern the range of effects," the Alchemist replied. "Who knows? It may only ease the symptoms of the pain, make it more bearable and not be the cure."

"It is why healers and doctors 'practice' medicine," Angela said with a gentle smile as she nodded. She had hoped that she would be able to just do this and the Eye would be gravy. She did learn something but it seemed like that would have to be something to explore if it ever came to that.

The Alchemist smiled gently as he picked up the stack of books he had brought out. It hadn't taken much to learn a few things about his visitor. He taught her a few things and she was an apt pupil. It was in her blood, confirmation that she had been born with this gift. "That is correct. Now that you have answers that you seek, what do you intend to do?"

There was still a chance for her to back out. She could state that she was going to leave and to reset the locks for the account. She didn't have to face the Gauntlet. Yet Angela knew that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she hadn't explored all options that would be available. She looked at the Alchemist and replied, "Endure the Gauntlet."

The Alchemist nodded, "That is your wish?"

"Yes."

The Alchemist motioned for her to follow. Angela picked up her pack and slung it over her shoulder. Cerebus stood up from the place he had assumed and followed. Together the three of them moved through the cavern that the Alchemist called home. For a moment it almost seemed like they were going the way that she had come but Angela knew that like truth, it didn't always appear to be what it was.

"You are right in thinking that. There is only one rule once a client comes through."

"There is no going back. The way out is the way forward." Angela knew that one pretty well. She sort of used it as a maxim when faced with the fact that her choice seemed to be harder than originally contemplated. In a way it was saying that she made her bed and now she had to lie in it.

"There is truth in those words. Most people like to dwell on the past and think of how they could have done things better or differently."

Angela made a slight hum, "Hindsight is 20/20."

"But why torture yourself with it? All it does is twist the knife and bring more pain."

Angela shrugged her shoulder slightly as she followed, "Penance. Glutton for punishment. It just seems like the human thing to do." She fell silent and sighed as she continued forward. She continued, "Because when things go wrong, even when planned perfectly, you can't help but look it over and try to figure out what went wrong."

"And how does that serve any purpose?"

"When you feel that you have made the best choice possible, it makes it easier to move on," Angela offered. At any other time it would have felt like the conversation was getting a little peculiar. She didn't mind because in the end it was a reflection of what she had been doing for years regarding her choices. "Sometimes it doesn't help but it is there."

The Alchemist paused to look at Angela as she ambled behind. This one had been the most interesting of all the people that came to see him. "Have you moved on?"

"I haven't the faintest clue," Angela replied with a shrug as she caught up. She looked around, not put out that she was still in a cavern. "I like to think I am over some things but I know that there are things that just hit hard."

The Alchemist merely hummed at that and then turned abruptly on his heel and headed to the door that he had been looking for. "The Gauntlet was conceived in the early days of warriors. Once you were in, you were in and the only way out was to pass through it. Most didn't survive."

"Much like getting jumped in and jumped out of a gang," Angela murmured.

"If that is the way you see it," the Alchemist replied with a raised brow. He turned towards the door and pulled out a set of keys. "Since then the concept of the Gauntlet has been used when various individuals placed things they wanted in deep protection. The goal was to keep those not worthy of the challenge out."

"Still barbarians," Angela muttered to herself. She looked up at the Alchemist and said louder, "It was designed so that the person retrieving what was protected would understand the implications of their goal fully. A nice lesson to teach while they got what they wanted. It also enabled items to be passed down through families and those worthy had the option."

"You know your history. Very good."

Angela said nothing about that. She would know since she had gone through the Gauntlet before. One was her own account and at a different branch. Each time was different and the challenges were determined by the original account holder. Mostly it was very physical but there were some that required a strong mind as well. In the end it was how willing you were to face the potential for pain and it wasn't always the physical kind. She wasn't even sure what Bobby picked for the challenge or challenges. She was supposed to get some sort of basics or at least a minimal idea of what to expect.

"The Gauntlet you face will have three challenges," the Alchemist intoned as he put the key into the lock.

"Which I will not allow."

Angela widened her eyes as she stared at the sudden appearance of Castiel. She then narrowed them and said, "Don't presume to tell me what to do."

The Alchemist recognized that this was a potentially volatile situation that needed to be addressed but he was well aware that there were certain rules to follow. Angels popping in and interfering were high on the list of big no-nos. "You are interfering with a decision that has already been made. You must leave."

Castiel looked at the Alchemist. It would have been automatic to smite him but even he knew the purpose of the Alchemists and their necessity to the grand scheme of things. They were handy things and about as troublesome as strong willed humans. He then looked at Angela, ignoring the Alchemist and said, "You are needed."

"I highly doubt that and I have no urge to go with someone who has been a virtual dick these days," Angela replied as she turned away.

Castiel looked at her and then away at nothing, "You are in service to God and his angels. You swore to come when called."

"In the beginning Cas. Then when I found out what you were up to…" She turned and walked up to the angel to look him in the eye. "I don't give a damn about the destiny crap. Moving people like chess pieces… it gets old." She turned away to look at a particularly interesting pictograph on the wall.

"You are the Malachi of Absolution. You are the one who can help end the apocalypse. It is written," Castiel intoned with gritted patience.

"And that is what you said then when you had a gigantic Saturn-five rocket shoved up your ass," Angela replied as she turned to look at Castiel with annoyance.

"Clearly there are issues but…"

"Stay out of it please," Angela interrupted as she looked at the Alchemist. She softened her features enough to show that she was apologetic to the angel interfering with this. They hardened instantly when her gaze reverted back to Castiel and she said, "I don't have time for this Cas. I have a patient who needs help."

_Apt description_, the Alchemist thought to himself as he stepped back to let the exchange continue. While it was an annoyance for the interruption, it was a chance for things to be moved in certain directions and the potential to see other things happen.

Castiel was not in a similar frame of mind as the Alchemist as he replied, "You are referring to Sam. That will be taken care of."

"Newsflash Cas, you can't do anything about it. Grace or no," Angela countered. "It's why I am doing this."

"You're duty is to the bigger picture."

"And sometimes Cas the bigger picture is the problem," she said as she looked at the angel wondering why the hell he was here and how the hell he found her. She had blocked him since she hadn't been in much of a talking mood with him. Not after the way he spoke to Dean. It sounded petty but it was how she felt as she was trying to figure out how to get her Cas back. She sighed and put her hands on her hips and looked away. Finally she said, "How did you find me?"

"You blocked me," Castiel said.

"Glad something worked right," Angela replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You should've taken the hint. I don't want to talk to you."

"You _are_ needed."

"Yeah I'm needed for something. _Everybody _needs me for something." Angela looked at Castiel with a pointed look. To a casual observer she looked ready to hit the angel and wouldn't have a problem knocking the holy tax accountant around. "Right now, Sam needs me and I am trying to help."

"There is nothing you can do for him now," Castiel said. "Give up this foolish endeavor."

"Of what? You'll force me?" Angela looked at Castiel daring him to try one of his angel tricks. Her arms were still crossed over her chest and she was assuming the posture that the Winchesters referred to as her dragon lady stance and they meant that literally. "Nice try on that one, Cas. To do that will violate the sanctity of the Gauntlet, which I am doing."

"Don't do this," Castiel said looking at her in the eye, trying to make her see. "You can't help Sam here. You need to be out there."

Angela studied Castiel. She felt somewhat calm but she was not in the best of moods. "It can wait Cas. I can do something and we will not suffer any more than is necessary. We will only get worse without help. I will do what I can."

Castiel looked at Angela and frowned slightly. He ignored the fact that the Alchemist had done the same thing. He was focused on the fact that she was switching between tenses. It was not something she normally did even when she was exhibiting her sense of humor. Something was not right and first thoughts were that it was this place. "You need to leave."

"No, Cas," Angela replied after giving a slight shake of her head. She wasn't sure what she had just said but she was certain she had used something akin to the royal 'we'. She had no idea where that came from and chose to ignore it. "I am doing this for Sam. I am going to help him and then I will go on my hunt for Lilith and end this before it escalates further."

"That is not your role in the events to come," Castiel intoned as he looked at her. She was being persistent and one of the reasons that led him to being hauled back to remember. She had that way… He gave a slight frown at her, "There is a certain way things must be done."

"And I get that but I am not going to be the puppet. I never was one and don't intend on starting now."

Castiel looked at Angela as she stared back at him. She was determined to change things even if it meant possible horrible consequences. She then said, "Cas, just because someone has a destiny doesn't mean it has to be played out by the rulebook."

"Things must occur."

"And I buy that. I buy that we all have a role and purpose but we are free to choose within that role. Some of us don't even know the endgame." Angela looked at Castiel and grasped his hands. "I know they 'reeducated' you but you are still my Cas. If you didn't 'work for me' you would have washed your hands of me. Please." She stared at the angel for the longest time.

Castiel knew he should walk away and try again. He was well versed in the rules of the Gauntlet and if he were to forcibly remove her the consequences could be disastrous. Yet there was that small part that hadn't been completely removed in terms of being made able to see. He looked away to stare at the wall and then directly into her eyes, "If you do this… If you do this, you might not like what you find."

"That is the point to the Gauntlet," Angela replied. She chewed her lip and still hadn't released the angel's hands. "Sometimes courage is found by walking through the door."

"If you do this, I can't help you if you need it," Castiel tried again. He felt distressed that she was going to do this. If she got into trouble, he couldn't help her. The challenges were for her alone. He couldn't deny it but their bond was making him anxious. It was one thing that his re-education couldn't get rid of.

"I know. It'll be okay," she replied as she released his hands and put a hand on his shoulder. "I have to do this."

Castiel had no choice but to let her go. He looked down quickly before giving a nod. "Then go. Keep in mind that you are needed."

"Right."

Castiel made a click of his tongue. He gently grasped her upper arms and held her steady. He looked her in the eye and repeated, "You… are needed."

Angels took in the expression of the angel. She understood what he was getting at. So he wasn't totally gone. He still cared. She nodded as she cupped his elbows and squeezed. She released him and turned towards the Alchemist and said, "I'm ready."

The Alchemist nodded and turned to unlock the door. He paused before opening the door and said, "There are three main challenges to the Gauntlet. Face your enemy. Face yourself. Face your greatest fear. These are the sum of all challenges that are embedded within the Gauntlet."

Angela nodded at that. "I am ready."

The Alchemist opened the door and stood aside. "The Gauntlet is open to you."

Angela took a breath and a step forward. She paused to give Castiel one last look of reassurance and continued forward. Cerebus was close at her heels and he managed to give a slight woof of encouragement to the angel as he passed. The pair continued through the door and down the tunnel that would lead them to through.

The Alchemist closed the door and glanced at the angel. He said, "She will be fine."

Castiel looked at the Alchemist, his face devoid of expression. He turned to look at the closed door. "The Malachi has the strength."

The Alchemist made a slight smile as he locked the door. "You aren't fooling anyone Castiel."

"You would be wise to keep silent about things you know nothing about."

The Alchemist looked at the angel and said, "I wonder how being two faced will work for you. Or will the famous guardian-charge bond supersede that?"

Castiel gave a hard stare before turning to walk away. He didn't like it at all but he had no choice. He also had work to do. Dean had accepted the call and now things had to be done. Her part would come even if not on the schedule that had been set.

In the meantime Angela was walking forward with Cerebus beside her. So far it was much like when she went through one of the temples at the sanctuary in the jungles of the Yucatan. The floors had a smooth feel to them but it was bumpy and the lighting was very low. There were cobwebs in certain areas and she wondered if Josiah had either lousy housekeepers or he just liked to give that sense of mysteriousness. It was an alternative thought to what she had been thinking the moment Castiel showed up.

She had blocked him but she figured that she hadn't done it right. He had said that it was a two way street with the bond thing. It must have worked since he didn't show up when she was pissed with Amitiel or whatever the hell she was doing then until the angel guided her back. She also knew that if he spoke to Dean, he wouldn't tell.

"You know it is strange that Cas showed up when he did. Makes me wonder what he is up to," she said addressing Cerebus.

Cerebus made a slight sound at that like he didn't know why either. He was familiar with the presence of the angel and thus didn't attack when he showed up. It had been clear though that his alpha was not pleased with the situation.

"Something is not right. If anything Cas would have approached Dean after Dean called to him."

Angela looked around. It would have been prudent to pull out her flashlight, a Mag Lite that was considered standard issue for a criminal investigator. She didn't though since she could see due to her very good night vision. Besides her thoughts were on other things and she had to get through the Gauntlet. It just seemed that it was one thing on top of another and it coincided with the choices she had made. It made her suspicious about the whole thing.

"Something isn't right Cerebus. I know it. It's like Cas is hiding something from me. I think something is going on upstairs with his superiors and…" She stopped walking and looked around. There were no side paths so she wasn't lost. She was just turned around about the whole thing and that wasn't a good thing since she needed to focus on the task of completing the Gauntlet. She looked up and around and a couple of breaths. Sighing she said, "I can't shake it and it's a distraction."

Cerebus gave a slight whine at her. He sensed that she was bothered and he sensed that there was something further ahead in this place. It wasn't dangerous… yet. He was anxious about this place and his alpha had the same level but she was also distracted and that was a bad combination. Her main thoughts though were on her alpha. He nudged her leg with his paw and gave a slight whine to catch her attention.

Angela snapped out of her thoughts and looked down at the dog. She gave a smile and rubbed his head. "I know boy. It just feels like things are coming together in a plot that I completely missed. I guess we better get going if we're going to help Sam." She patted his side and started forward.

Cerebus gave a rumble of approval and followed. Angela continued glad for the company of her hellhound. It wasn't long until she rounded a corner and she thought her own mind was messing with her. The hall had changed to the pristine white of fresh paint and the piping that ran along the ceiling. She blinked as she looked around and turned to look behind her and was surprised to see an elevator lift, recognizable by the metal gate that was shut. "Okay this must be one of the tests for the locks. I can do this," she motioned to calm herself.

"Angie!"

Angela turned around to see a small girl with pigtails running towards her. She was dressed in a dress appropriate for little girls of the time and her curls were bouncing, held in place by the burgundy ribbons that matched the dress. The girl ran up to her and grabbed her in a huge hug. Angela blinked in shock as she slowly put her hands around the girl and gave a tentative hug back and looked around hoping that this was just a really bad joke.

"You promised that you would show me how the propellers worked," the little girl replied as she tugged on Angela's hand.

Angela blinked as she studied the little girl. She remembered that very well. She also showed her a few other things before… "I did, didn't I?"

The little girl beamed up at her. She bounced on the soles of her feet. "Momma said that I wasn't supposed to see you anymore since I'm supposed to be a proper lady but I like you."

"I like you too… Alice," Angela said softly as she started walking hand in hand with the little girl and they walked down the hall.

It was probably a good twenty or so minutes that they walked and talked. Alice babbled on about what was going on and how she looked forward to going to school in the United States. Angela listened, remembering this conversation word for word. She made the same replies as she did then until they came to the stairs that would lead up. It was then that she noticed the water and stopped. This was definitely a bad joke.

The water started to come in faster and the lighting started to flicker. She looked to see Alice looking scared at her. She tugged on her jacket sleeve, "Angie, please. I'm scared."

Angela looked at Cerebus who was alarmed by the sudden appearance of water and looking in the direction that they were supposed to go. He looked up at her with a look that clearly said she was the one that was in charge.

Angela looked at the water as it was coming in faster. Suddenly there was a rush of water. She barked an order for Cerebus to run and the dog took off. Without a second thought, she grabbed Alice and clutched her to her chest and took off running down the hall. She could hear the rush of water as it was gaining on them and Alice was screaming, scared at the sight. "It'll be over soon. Just hang on," she murmured.

Up ahead was a door. There was no way that it was going to hold back the water but Angela knew instinctively that it was the way out. The way out was to go forward. She ran for the door where Cerebus was scratching at the door to open it even though he could easily have broken through. Angela caught up and tried to open it but it was locked. Alice was screaming and the door was stuck. Angela glanced back to see the water coming. They were going to drown if she didn't get it open.

Looking around and seeing nothing, Angela went with the best thing. She kicked the door open and charged through into the darkness, holding onto Alice. She landed hard on the ground and heard the rush of water come and then it died down. She blinked at the fact that she had gone through a memory of hers and would have cursed except there was slow clapping that was occurring. Getting up, Angela found that Alice was gone and she was in a circular room that was slowly lit by fire. Cerebus was by her side.

"Impressive but not your best."

Angela turned and her eyes widened to see who it was. The one who spoke added, "Welcome home my pretty."

* * *

**A/N:** The journey into the Gauntlet has begun and already there has been challenges along the way. I wonder who it is that greeted her? Stay tuned for more The Calm before the Storm...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Sam felt hot and sweaty and shaky. Sitting on the floor he looked around and then at Sasha who had her head in his lap. He rubbed her fur and grasped her in a hug since she was the only thing that had been real throughout everything since she was let in. She whined at him in sympathy and gave his face a little lick of reassurance.

Sam looked up at the fan and the light. He felt thirsty and hot and everything seemed so far away. He was thirsty though and struggled to get up, using the bed as a means of getting up. Everything felt painful. His face was flushed and he wanted something cool… like water. He looked at it and it was so far away. Sasha was whining in sympathy. Sam shut his eyes and wished for some relief. He thought of her; she would know what to do. She always did.

"Poor baby."

Sam looked up from his musings and saw his mother. He gasped as he took in her with her nightgown and bloodied on her middle. "Mom." It gave him the means to stand up.

"Sam," Mary said. She looked at him and came out bluntly, "You look just awful. I would think my best friend would at least nag you."

It sounded ridiculous to fuss about his appearance. Nevertheless Sam looked down and examined his person. He knew he looked like shit. He felt like shit and couldn't help but chuckle at that. He knew that this was another hallucination and probably coming to tell him what Dean had told him when he locked him in. "Let's hear it. Go ahead."

Mary looked at her son, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Sam closed his eyes to hide his annoyance and also the fact that it was hard to admit the truth. Truth did hurt. How many times had he heard it in different ways? "You're disappointed. You never thought I'd turn out this way," he replied as he started to walk a little. He noted that Sasha stayed close to him and was grateful. He almost wanted to burst into tears but he didn't, "I'm a piss poor excuse for a son. Your heart is broken." He ended on a low note and sat on the cot. "Am I close?" He looked at her as he put a hand on Sasha.

Mary studied Sam and replied, "Not at all. You're doing the right thing Sam. What you're doing is brave and considerate." Mary joined him on the cot to sit. "Considerate for my best friend. You are right in that she deserves better. She took a lot of baggage from everyone and everything and even promised to keep me safe by staying away when I wanted her with me as a friend and sister. You're not being crazy. You're being practical. My best friend is practical."

Sam looked at his mother. He couldn't find anything to say to that. He had been doing this because it was practical and he believed that he could do something so she didn't have to. It had been easy to forget that she was someone who was of importance to people and the angels made that clear on occasion but it lingered with him. Part of it was because she felt she was obligated to it and as part of some penance for something that he didn't know. It wasn't just for himself but for her.

"Sam, I am so proud of you."

Sam looked up at that and swallowed, "But… but Dean…"

"Your brother doesn't understand," Mary countered. She took in his expression and explained, "I was raised a hunter from a long line. It was how I found my best friend. We both understood that there are gonna be hard choices. And we do what we have to and get the job done. Yes, our family is cursed. But you… you have the power to turn it into a gift."

Sam felt his mother touch his head. It felt so good to have her touch him. He had only been a baby when she died and he never knew her touch or her. Yet it just didn't quite feel right. He was thinking of someone else who touched him like that but only when he had been sick. It still felt good though. He listened to what his mother said and replied, "Angie said something like that."

"That's because she has a curse that is a gift too. She understands it. You can use your gift against them. She has before."

"For revenge?" That had been Sam's objective from the start. He turned to look at his mother.

"No, for justice," Mary replied. "It is what we stood for. She taught me to be better with it." She watched Sam's expression and added, "I know how scared you are."

Sam sniffed a bit. It was hard to admit this. "What's… in me… Mom… it's…"

"Evil," Mary said bluntly, "And you know it but it isn't that much different from her."

"What if it's stronger than me?" Sam choked it out as he reached for Sasha. She hadn't left him. Her head was resting on his knee and she was giving him soulful eyes. "Look at me. What if Dean's right?" He looked in the direction of his mother, not saying other things that were related and on his mind.

Mary looked at Sam and said, "Dean can never know how strong you are… because Dean is weak." She said it in a matter of fact tone and took in the confused expression and continued, "Look at what he's done to the both of you. Locking you both in here. He's terrified. He's in over his head. You have to go on without him. Help my best friend. You have what it takes. You have to kill Lilith."

Sam had been thinking throughout the whole thing. He knew what needed to be done and he was stuck in here. "Even if it kills me." It was a harsh thing to think about but it was the truth. Killing Lilith was the most important thing to be done. He knew he could do it. He looked at his mother and sighed.

"Make my death mean something," Mary said. "I'm counting on you Sam. Don't let anyone or anything get in your way. Not even Dean. Not even Angie."

It was comforting to feel his mother hug and kiss him but it didn't sit right. That last part didn't sit right. He wasn't going to let Dean stop him but… He sat on the cot in the middle of the panic room. His hands were clenched together between his knees as he felt his body shudder. Looking around he realized his mother was gone and he blinked. It had been another hallucination.

Sasha whined at pawed at him with her paw. She tried nosing his knee and looked up at him with soulful eyes. She didn't like how clammy his touch was on her fur. He wasn't well. He needed her alpha. Her alpha would know what to do to fix this. Taking initiative, she went to the door of the panic room and began scratching at the door and whining a high pitched whine. Surely her alpha's beta would hear her and come help.

"Stop it Sasha. She's not coming," Sam intoned.

Sasha paused but then tried harder. Her nails clicked on the door as she scratched it. Her whines became higher pitched. She was one step away from barking but she was still hoping someone would hear her and help her alpha's alpha.

Sam looked over at the pup. She was only doing what she thought she should do. He sighed, "It's okay Sasha. Come here." He beckoned at the dog, hoping that she would listen to him. There wasn't really any reason for her not to.

Sasha paused at her scratching and looked in Sam's direction. He looked terrible. She whined at him and trotted towards him and then towards the table with the water. She bounced on her feet and whined at him again.

Sam slowly got to his feet and was met by the anxious pup. He kneeled slowly and began to pet her and rub her. He didn't really question why she was in there and assumed that she was a figment of his imagination. It was a pretty good one since she didn't disappear like the others had. She was the one constant and served more as a companion. "It's okay," he murmured.

Sasha whined as Sam pet her. She didn't like how things were looking. She was anxious because her alpha wasn't back and she was needed to fix this. She didn't like that the beta couldn't hear his brother's pain. She didn't understand that he heard everything and it was killing him that he was not obeying the impulse to help his baby brother.

Sam sat against the wall next to the table and sighed. He closed his eyes as he felt the sweat on his head. He drew comfort when Sasha came to sit by him. She was still whining and he didn't blame her. She was always one to comfort people even though he had seen her in action when she got into her aggressive mode. Dean himself often would cuddle with her when he thought no one was looking. Now Sam was getting comfort from her.

_Duty has always been a thing for me. It's a default due to too many decades on the job and the great power has great responsibility…_

Sam kept his eyes closed and murmured, "But you promised."

_I always have you in mind._

"You don't have to do this. I can…"

_I hardly see the difference between us._

Sam slowly opened his eyes. He remembered that conversation. She never had a problem that he could do things but he felt the need to hide things from her. She had to have known before now and she had given him a chance to tell her, even going so far as to dropping hints in that way of hers. Why couldn't he just muster up the courage and tell her?

_No path is more dangerous than the one that is treaded with your eyes shut._

Sam pressed the back of his head against the wall. Sniffing he rubbed his head and rested his arm on Sasha's back. He jiggled his legs feeling antsy again. He had no idea how long he had been in there. It felt like an eternity and like he was one to talk since he knew at least one person who would know better about it being an eternity. He was doomed to stay in there and…

Sasha lifted her head from where it was resting on his thigh. She nosed his shoulder. Something wasn't quite right.

Sam looked down at his hands. It was then that he saw the veins appear. It was like they were breaking through the skin. It had him gasp in a panic and he jumped to his feet to peer in the mirror that was there and stared at his face. The veins were there appearing on his face. They were protruding and breaking through his skin. He screamed, "Guys! Help!"

No one responded and Sam couldn't tear himself away from the mirror. He saw a shadowy figure that looked menacing in the background. He whirled around to look but there was no one there. He looked again in the mirror and what he saw freaked him out, "Bobby! Dean! Help!"

Sasha began to bark but it wasn't one that would bring Dean running. She was still barking though and it was mixed with a high pitched whine. She didn't like what was happening. She went to hide near the bed when Sam started moving around and grunting. She didn't know what to do. It wasn't an enemy attacking her pack that she could see and fight.

Sam groaned as he peered in the mirror. The veins were still there and other things were appearing. He shouted for his brother and for Bobby. He shouted, "Guys. We need to get the girl out! The water's rising!"

He began looking along the walls for a way out. He found the door and tried to pull it open. He had to get it open otherwise they were all going to drown. The water was rushing in and it was freezing cold. They had to get the girl out; they had to save her but the damn door was locked. There was one way to get through. He raised his foot and began kicking at the walls, trying to kick the door in. "Guys, she needs our help!"

Sam kept kicking until he felt a nip on his ankle. He ended up falling and landing on his ass and panting from the exertion. He looked at the door breathing heavily and noticed that it wasn't the white he had seen before but the iron walls of the panic room. He looked at Sasha who was looking apologetic for biting him. He had no idea why he was that insistent about a girl named… Alice? He frowned as he panted and his body shook from the shakes and sniffed. Reaching out, he grabbed Sasha into a tight hug and prayed this would end.

* * *

Dean held the phone to his ear. His features were contorted into concern, worry and annoyance all rolled into one. He sighed when he heard the voicemail but he waited and said, "Angie, you better be in the middle of doing what you need to do. Cas came looking for you. I didn't tell him where you were but knowing him, he'll find you and try to stop you. And Sam… he's with Sasha." He couldn't say anymore and hung up.

He had followed the suggestion and let Sasha in. Bobby had some apprehensions since Sam could've used the opportunity to get out. It was a risk that Dean was willing to take and it worked. Sasha was already down there and looking at the door with a pitiful expression which she turned towards him. He figured that Sam wouldn't hurt her and if he tried Sasha would let him have it even though that could cause problems later on. Yet the way how Angela said to use Sasha, Dean got the feeling that the pup wouldn't come to harm but watch out for Sam.

The night had passed and felt like agony for Dean. He had refused to tell Castiel where Angela was and mostly out of the fact that he was a dick nowadays since he was shipped back to Bible camp. Part of it was also the selfish reason was that he didn't want her to go since she was trying to find a means of making this whole thing less painful to Sam. No doubt this was hurting her just as bad and probably worse since that saying about love hurting was pretty much true and it sucked like hell for anyone who had to go through it.

_When this is over I'm gonna lay it out for Sam and tell him to stop being an ass about it with her. This is too much._

"Guys! We need to help her! The water's coming!"

Dean closed his eyes as he listened to his brother's screams and shouts. No doubt Sam was hallucinating about a job or a combination of jobs. Dean certainly couldn't remember rescuing a little girl from drowning. He whispered, "Hurry Angie. I don't know how much longer Sam can take this."

"Help us! We need help. The door is stuck!" Sam's voice could be heard coming up from the panic room.

Dean could feel a pair of eyes looking at him. He turned to see Bobby looking at him and he could see daylight poking through the window. Bobby looked like he was trying to make sense of a few things, "Correct me if I'm wrong but you willingly signed up to be the angels' bitch?"

Dean gave Bobby a look. That pretty much was the gist of the whole thing. No doubt Angela would have said the same thing… and she would have included herself in that. Dean didn't want to think about that at the moment but there was no denying that part was true.

Bobby took in the look and amended, "I'm sorry. You prefer 'sucker'?" Dean wasn't saying much so it allowed Bobby to vent, "After everything you said about them, and what Angie has said about them… now you trust them?"

"Come on give me a little credit, Bobby," Dean retorted. "I've never trusted them less and I've trusted every word Angie's said about them. I believe her when she said she kicked one of their asses. She killed not one but two Grigori and they're the toughest out there. I mean they come on like shady politicians from planet Vulcan."

Bobby just didn't get it, "Then why in the hell…"

"Because what other option do I have?" Dean felt like he was at the end of his rope on this. "It's either trust the angels or let Sammy trust a demon?"

"I see your point," Bobby allowed, "But how is that different than what Angie is doing?"

"What do you mean?"

Bobby made a slight face thinking that Dean must have been in a vacuum the last couple of years. "Come on Dean. She's got demon stoolies that feed her information and one sold her out according to Sam and she still uses them. How is that different?"

"Because she doesn't trust them anymore than I do," Dean countered. "I mean she's the freaking leader of an Oni settlement. They're demons and she's their leader and not even a demon but a half vamp. If anything she's the contradiction and exception to the rule."

Bobby knew that. He was only asking because she was literally stuck in the middle of things. She wasn't completely human but she sided with them and was so attached to the Winchester boys that she would probably tread into that territory that was dark on both sides just to keep them safe. He looked at Dean and asked, "And have you even told her that lately? Is that why you told her to go to the Gauntlet?"

"She needs something to do, Bobby," Dean allowed after a brief pause. "I may be a callous ass with her sometimes but… I know her. She needs something to do and… I know she can find something. Even if it's a snowball's chance, she has that way of making you believe that everything will be all right. When we were messed up in Ellis, there was never a doubt that she'd come through." Dean looked at Bobby. "And that was when she was not a hundred percent."

Bobby could understand that. When he proposed the means to fix her when she was dying, she tried to be the strong one even though she was scared herself. The grizzled hunter figured that she had never told anyone that she was scared and probably considered it a weakness to admit it. This though Bobby was certain it was different. He looked at Dean and asked, "Do you even know what the Gauntlet is?"

"Some super max storage place," Dean replied.

"It's more than that," Bobby countered. He stood to look Dean in the eye and explained, "It's a place that is designed to truly test someone what they are capable of. The challenges are selected based upon the plan the client selects and are not only physical but mental and emotional." He watched as Dean looked at him with a look of alarm in his face. "You sent her to the one place that probably will…" Bobby shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know what was going to happen.

"Why did you even put that thing in there?"

"Because she asked me to," Bobby replied, "She asked me to because the Eye is a valuable commodity. At the time she wanted to make sure them bastards that were after it in the first place would give up on finding it. I didn't want to do it but she insisted."

"And now she's gone to get it. She played it down again," Dean muttered as he shook his head. "She knew and she didn't want me to worry. Typical."

"Typical and stupid if you ask me," Bobby countered. He sighed, "But she wanted to do it and once it starts, she can't quit. I just hope that she makes it through. The Gauntlet is said to play with your mind, delve into your memories in order to be able to meet the challenges that were set forth."

"And what did you pick when you set this up?"

Bobby tried to recall what he selected when he opened the account. He remembered the manager of the place and while he was wary of him, he sort of liked him. Didn't trust him completely but Bobby was well aware of the rules regarding things like that place. Sighing he said, "The basic package of three challenges. The specifics I can't remember."

Dean was going to say something when he frowned. He heard the scratching and the barking that was almost howling. "You hear that?"

Bobby listened. He could make out Sasha barking but she had done that earlier. Yet there was something different about the tone. It was also too quiet for Sam being quiet between bouts. He agreed, "Yeah that's a little too much nothing."

Sasha's incessant barking and the tone of alarm was enough to set them into motion. Dean led the way to the panic room with Bobby in tow. As they got down into the basement, Dean could pick up Sasha clinking on the walls and barking. Something was definitely not right. Dean threw open the viewport and peered in to find Sam writhing on the ground. "What if he's faking it?"

"You really think he would?" Bobby peered in. He could see Sasha pacing around Sam anxious and barking. "The mutt can't fake concern."

Dean couldn't deny that. True the mutts liked to play tricks on him but they wouldn't mess around with something serious. However, Sasha and Cerebus both liked Sam quite a bit and it wasn't too far a possibility to consider that he would ask her to fake her concern. "I'd think he's do anything," Dean allowed.

Suddenly Sam's body flew across the ground and slammed into the wall. Sasha's barking became louder and full of alarm as she chased after Sam. She grabbed his jean leg and pulled to try and get him off the wall.

"That ain't faking," Bobby said as he rushed to open the door.

Sam reached out trying to get off the wall and Sasha was tugging on his pant leg trying to help. It felt like something was inside and trying to rip him in two and he groaned. Suddenly his body rolled across the wall and he dragged Sasha with him. Her rear was in a seated position as she pulled against the force as the cloth twisted. Her rear dragged along the ground and she couldn't help but growl as if to warn the invisible force that they were messing with the wrong person.

Dean and Bobby made it in and helped Sasha pull Sam off the wall and wrestle him to the ground. He was convulsing like he was having a seizure or something. Bobby took drastic measures and grabbed his belt and put it in Sam's mouth while Dean held his brother down. It nearly startled the both of them when Sasha got in the way and planted her weight on Sam's body. Bobby said, "We're gonna have to tie him down for his own safety."

Dean heard Bobby but his focus was on his brother. Sam's eyes were rolling up into his skull and he was convulsing. This was the worse that it had gotten. Internally though Dean had that feeling of dread that it was going to get a whole lot worse.

"Dean, you with me?" Bobby looked at Dean and saw that Dean was distracted. He shouted, "Dean! Before he had another fit."

Dean snapped out of it long enough to say, "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get it over with."

Together Dean and Bobby wrestled Sam over to the cot after convincing Sasha to get off of Sam. Bobby got out the handcuffs while Dean looked for something to keep the cuffs from chafing his brother. While they did it, Sam passed out and Sasha climbed on top of Sam and sprawled on top of him and looked around. Dean studied the dog and thought, _Damn it Angie. Where the hell are you?_

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like Sam had another hallucination and an interesting conversation with Mommy and something peculiar happened. Dean and Bobby share a moment and Dean wonders what to do. Keep watching for more The Calm before the Storm...


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The blade went in and the sound of blood and slushing guts filled the air along with the collapse of the body. Angela took a gasping breath as she pulled out the knife she had put on her person. Slowly she turned to look at the carnage that she had caused and noted the bodies. She held the knife and stared at them and sniffed slightly as she wiped the sweat from her mouth.

The first to greet her was Azazel. His yellow eyes glittered with pleasure as he revealed the familiar pit she had been subjected to. He called her by his familiar endearment and smiled at her. She had known it was a hallucination since Azazel was dead and Dean had killed him and yet it was very real. It was much like how she used to torture demons. It was definitely a hallucination when Alistair, Lenya and the Old Man showed up.

Lenya and the Old Man she wasn't sure of since they were alive and kicking. It made Angela regret not coming when Dean called her that time and told her they had the Old Man. She would have ripped his head off then and to hell with the fact that he could predict destiny and was an agent of destiny. Lenya, she had plenty of opportunities to gank her but she didn't and the reason why was one of the persistent questions asked by all of them.

Angela sniffed again as she looked at the bodies. She hadn't seen the familiar light that indicated that the demon was being killed by a special blade. It meant the whole thing was a hallucination. But the bodies were still there as well as the blood. Seeing it she looked down and raised her hands to the light. Her hands were covered with blood and that was to be expected.

The red covered her hands and dripped to the ground. She looked from her hands to the bodies. Three were dead but the last one was still breathing. It was the Old Man. She lowered her hands and walked towards the body. She waved back Cerebus who rumbled at the fact that there was still one alive and kicking. He was willing to finish the job but he would obey his alpha. It was her right after all.

Angela approached the Old Man as he started chuckling even though the gurgles made it clear that he was dying. She stood over him and looked down at him. "What are you laughing at? You're the one that is dying."

"You still don't get it do you?" The Old Man looked up at Angela as she stared at him. He couldn't help but continue to laugh at her. This challenge was far from over and she still hadn't grasped what it was about.

Angela squatted so she was close to the body on the ground. She had the hand with the knife draped across her knee and with the other she fingered the Old Man's clothing. She asked, "What is it that you think I didn't get?"

The Old Man coughed and chuckled as he let her finger his clothing. He knew that the wait would annoy her but there was also fun in revealing things and letting her figure it out. "Oh just that you may have killed people who you perceive as an enemy but you have yet to grasp what your true enemy is."

Angela looked down at the Old Man with a bland expression that said nothing at all. "True enemy?"

"We all have one. It is just a matter of finding it. The one thing that terrifies and incites the greatest anger within us." The Old Man looked up at her with a piercing look as blood spilled out of his mouth. "What is yours?"

Angela stared at the Old Man. She retracted her hand and said, "All four of you are."

"Wrong," the Old Man replied, "The one thing that you have fought against the moment you were fed that crap about responsibility."

"Then that is a long list of people."

The spit was unexpected and Angela wiped it from her face with calm. She ended up grabbing the Old Man by his lapels and jerked him. He laughed and choked, "Come on. You know what it is. You know better than anyone that it is not always the physical that is our enemy."

Angela looked at the Old Man as she jerked him angrily. "Enough with the games."

"It is not a game. You shouldn't even be here. You should be with the angels now and preparing to do what you were born to do. Yet you persist in fighting."

"I fight because we all have a purpose but who is to say I should do exactly what and the way they want?" Angela looked down at the Old Man and thrust him down. "I am tired of being told that the big picture is the only picture. If I do anything for people it will be my way in my own time!"

She had shouted the last part of her declaration. At that moment all the bodies disappeared. One by one they disappeared leaving nothing. The last to disappear was the Old Man and he had a smirk on his face as he fell back dead, his cold, dead eyes looking at her with a strange and twisted sort of pleasure. Angela was left in the dark and she looked around. She looked at her hands and found that the blood was gone and couldn't help but gasp as she looked around trying to ascertain what happened just now.

"That was not normal," she muttered to herself. She looked around and reached out to Cerebus to rub him more out of comfort and told him he was a good boy. "My guess is that was one of the challenges. My greatest enemy is the destiny that I've been tried to be forced into. I've fought and continue to fight it at every turn."

Cerebus gave a slight whine of acknowledgement. He received a rub on his head. Angela smiled at him, "I know. I am an idjit like Bobby says I am."

At that moment a door slid open. Angela watched as it opened to reveal a lighted hallway. She looked at Cerebus and said, "I guess we continue forward since the way out is going forward." She checked her watch and then looked upward. "We'll be alright. We're gonna be alright," she murmured.

Getting to her feet, she picked up her pack and continued forward. That was one challenge down and two to go and not to mention what else the Gauntlet would throw at her. She continued forward to find herself outdoors in a place she was very familiar with. She wondered how in the world the Gauntlet was able to do this since it was different from the last time she went through it. Then again it had to do with the package the client picked.

"You know you didn't have to walk me to the bus. I'm not a little kid who is going off on their first day of school."

Angela looked at Isabella and replied, "I wanted to Pup. The last time I saw you was when you were nine. Now you're grown up and… in the business." It was the same response she gave when she saw Isabella off at the bus terminal. She felt compelled to give the same responses she did. Though sometimes a little improvisation goes a long way. "Your mother would be very proud of you."

"You think so?"

"I know so." Angela smiled at Isabella. She accepted the hug Isabella gave her. It felt good to hug her again. She had given her a hug good-bye.

"You've always been able to make us feel special."

Angela released Isabella to see Augusta there. Both girls moved to stand side by side with each other. It allowed Angela to look at them. Augusta she raised from girlhood to adulthood and Isabella she knew since she was a girl and saved her life from being ended prematurely by the demon that once conned her. She studied them and gave a slight smile, "You both make me proud."

Both girls smiled and started walking, dragging Angela with them by linking their arms with hers. Isabella said, "You know the next job I'm heading towards the West Coast. Something about a beach bum shifter."

"Sounds like fun," Angela countered and Augusta agreed. They continued forward until they came to a room.

"Huh. The way is shut," Augusta said as she peered at the door. She pressed on it and found it sealed. "Looks like it's locked."

"Hey I can't be late for my gig," Isabella said. "Gotta save people and hunt things… the family business." She looked around anxious since there were people that needed help. It was part and parcel of what she had been taught. "This shifter is bad news."

Angela walked forward to inspect the door. There were several ways to get doors open. Lock picking is not a skill but an art form. The better you are at getting a door open without damaging it, the less chance of getting caught especially if you are trying to avoid authorities. In this case, no amount of knowledge of lock picking or busting down doors is going to work when it is clear that there is no lock to pick and the door is thick as a bank vault door.

While the three of them were inspecting the door, Angela became aware of the low growl that emanating from Cerebus. She paused in what she was doing and slowly turned around, ignoring the fact that Augusta and Isabella were looking at her strangely, wondering what she wasn't trying to open the door. The only consistent noise was Cerebus growling and he had a perfectly good reason why.

"Well now is that a way to greet your alpha Cerebus?"

Angela was used to being surprised by strange things. Being surprised by a doppelganger was not high on the list since she had met Elena de la Vera. So seeing an exact image of herself was not surprising but her senses were up since she could tell that Cerebus was threatened by the whole thing. It also didn't help that it seemed her accompanying friends were aware of the whole thing and were actually confused and asking which was the real Angela. It was going to take a lot of convincing that she was the real deal.

The doppelganger was smiling and looking at the trio, "Come on now, do you really have that poor of manners for someone you are very familiar with?" It contorted her lips into a pout.

Isabella was the first to react and said, "It's a shifter." She charged and attacked the doppelganger with a roar and was instantly flung aside and hard.

Augusta made a movement with her head trying to hear what was going on. She went with her instincts and charged. For her troubles she ended up hitting a wall with a slight wave of the doppelganger's hand. It left Angela there with her double and Cerebus who was growling and snarling. The doppelganger put a finger to her lips and said, "I'm sorry. Were they important to you?"

Angela felt her throat convulse as she looked at herself. She recognized the clothing she wore and could put a guess of when but the double looked exactly like how she looked now. She stood there and motioned for Cerebus to stay where he was. Swallowing she asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Now that is so beneath you. You know exactly who I am," the double replied with a seductive smile. She blinked and her eyes flickered the familiar black.

Angela blinked at that and felt her throat convulse as she stared at her double. She straightened up and looked at her double in the eye. "You are me."

The double gave a smirk and shrugged her shoulders. She started pacing back and forth and crossed her arms over her chest. "You are partially right but not completely. Come on. You know us very well. You dream about us on occasion."

Angela stared at her double with a firm look. She took a breath and replied, "You are me. You are what I was… and what I could become."

"Again falling short. Do we always resist against what is in front of us? Or are we that afraid?" The double raised her hands in exasperation. "After all the pep talks we've gotten over the years." She sighed and looked at Angela. "You know if you want to get out of here, you have to find the key and these partial answers will get us nowhere so the choice is up to you. Quit boring us with the simplistic and just give the answer."

"Oh but you know as well as I how we like complications," Angela retorted with sarcasm lacing her voice. "We like to make things complicated and screw with everyone. It's what we do."

"True," the double said in agreement, her black eyes glittering. She released her arms and swung them about as she paced. "Of course we've tried to be careful now haven't we? I mean it's different when we actually care about our partners."

Angela stiffened. This was not what she wanted to get into but it appeared that she was going to be dogged by it no matter what. She narrowed her eyes at her double and raised a hand in warning, "I always look after my partners. I never left a stray in the dark."

"Yes we kept telling ourselves that even when things went wrong and they died," the double said with a firm expression on her face. "I mean look at Sam. We tried so hard and yet he died. Dean was the one that made the deal. He went to hell and we were too weak to stop it. Now it's our fault that we're here in this God forsaken hole trying to help poor little Sammy."

"Stop," Angela warned, "You have no right to say such."

"But it is what we think. I am you and you are me. We are one and the same," the double said. "You know that it is our fault that things are the way they are. If we had not walked into Mary's life, they would not be in the position they are now. They would have their mother. They would have their father. They would be normal."

"You're right. Every time I touch something, it gets ruined. I know that," Angela replied. It sounded weird that she was talking to herself. "If Mary never found me out, she would have been alive. Azazel would never have found her and been attracted to her. She would have done what she wanted. Sam and Dean would have never known me."

"And how would that really make us feel?" The double studied Angela's reaction. She chuckled at the reaction. "Oh it really does sting. The catch-22 of this whole thing. I mean if Mary didn't know about us, we never would have met Sam now would we? The only one capable of reaching behind our defenses. What hurts more? Being responsible for the events of now or the idea of never knowing and ever finding out how we truly feel about someone we once sang a lullaby to as a baby."

The double would have said more but she got a punch across the face. She laughed at that but it just welcomed a barrage of punches. The double blocked and countered with her own. For Angela, she was virtually going up against herself and hence it was more of a futile effort in terms of trying to get the upper hand on things. Still it made her feel better since it was a bit silly to literally beat herself up but it was looking more appealing the more she beat on her double.

The double blocked and countered with a spinning back kick to Angela's middle. The blow was strong enough to knock her back into the wall and it hurt. It didn't help that the pack dug into her back and forced her to drop it. Angela grunted from the impact and rubbed her middle as she glared at her double.

The double giggled a little girl smile, "We used that on Aato. Remember? Another life we screwed over."

Angela took in deep breaths just as Cerebus broke his holding pattern and charged. He bared his teeth at the double and disappeared. Angela could see him though and he was in full hell hound glory. She called out for him to get back but he didn't listen. As far as he was concerned, his alpha had been threatened and he had enough. He charged with the full ferocity of a hell hound.

The double was grinning that grin Angela liked to grin when she was in the middle of a fight. The double caught Cerebus making it seem like he leapt into her arms. She pounded on Cerebus' back with her fist and then flung him aside. He hit the wall with a hard thud and his whine of pain was loud to Angela's ears as she went to check on him.

"Aw did we hurt the little puppy? See how much we hurt people?" The double pouted a little and smiled at Angela as she looked over her dog.

Angela clenched her teeth and felt the muscles in her cheek quiver. "I want out."

"Well you still haven't found the key," the double said. "We always get close but it's like we're afraid to find out what really is going to happen." She gave a cruel smile down at Angela. "For all the platitudes sang of us by friends and enemies, we sure are a pathetic lot."

Angela patted Cerebus. He licked her hand to let her know that he was okay for now. She rubbed his head and motioned for him to stay down. Slowly she got to her feet, well aware that she felt like breaking something at that moment. She replied, "You have no right to say anything."

"And what are you going to do about it? You gonna beat me up? Haven't you been trying to do that for years and it only hurts more because of Sammy?"

Angela roared out in anger and sent her double flying backwards where she landed hard on the ground. The result was her double pinned on the ground but instead of writhing in pain, it was laughing at her. More out of anger with herself, Angela slid her double across the floor with the intent to do physical harm and then slammed her double against the wall.

"Oh that tickles. We know exactly how it feels. Getting clean is so much fun."

Angela growled low in her throat and rolled her double along the wall, not caring if the rough surface did some damage or not. It felt good to do it. It felt even better when she finished rolling her double along the wall and pinned her firmly to said wall to the point that if the double tried to struggle out of it. It was similar to what the demons liked to do and some witches or warlocks… whatever… decided to do.

The double was laughing as she was pinned spread eagle fashion to the wall. It was completely amusing. "I always knew we could do this. Then again those bastards at the Centurion know how to run their tests but even then they really don't know what we are capable of. We sure showed Lilith though."

Angela came close and put her arm across the upper chest of her double. She leaned in close and stared hard at her double. It's interesting what you find out when you do serious introspection of yourself. You can learn about things you may have missed previously or never noticed at all. In the end it is part of the same harsh truths that you can come up with regarding yourself. It's just a matter of what you intend to do with that knowledge.

"You know you can't do it… but I can." The double was chuckling low in the throat. It sounded almost sinister to hear it. "You know that in order to be what they all want you to be, certain boundaries will have to be crossed. Of course we started doing that the moment we had a hard lesson given those two months right."

"We learned, yes," Angela nodded in agreement as she stared long and hard at her double. While it didn't help to get physical with it since it was her, it made her feel better since she had a channel for her anger and other self-berating thoughts. "We learned that a gift should be treated with respect since there are some that can be terrible if placed in the wrong hands."

"Sounds so noble but we both know that noble ideals aren't what saves you in the end," the double spat back. "We tried that line before and look where it got us and Sammy still wonders why we play with Cary still."

It was old news but part of the larger picture. Angela shoved against her double as if to shove her through the wall. She gritted her teeth and she couldn't resist the low growl in her throat. She sounded more like an animal than anything. "We have failed the noble ideals but they are there to strive for. It's part of being human."

"Something that we have longed for all our life since we became the monster that we are."

"We are not a monster. It isn't what we are. It is who we are," Angela countered as she pulled her double off the wall and held her in a tight grip.

"All well in good but you still need the key."

Angela took in the coy smile and gave one herself. She gripped her double tight, "Well I figured it out. You would be proud."

"Do tell. I love it when we figure things out," the double jeered.

"You are the key. The challenge was to face myself."

"You are getting warm," the double said as she shoved off Angela's hands.

"You are me and what I was and what I am afraid of becoming. You are a part of me always," Angela continued as she stared at her double. "You are the part that reminds me of who I am and not what I am."

"And finally we see," the double smiled in a knowing manner. "So what are you going to do?"

It was a rhetorical question since Angela grabbed her double and flung her into the door. It broke as if a battering ram had been taken to it. She really liked to get physical with things. At least she could take a breather and she took in her surroundings. Isabella and Augusta were long gone but Cerebus was there and he was still on the ground and thus the center of her attention.

She tested his back and felt his bones. Nothing major there in terms of broken bones and that was a relief. The hard part was his legs. She felt carefully along his hips and noted the bruises which he harrumphed in annoyance over. She found the source to be a bad sprain in his forepaw. She almost wanted to chuckle at the fact that he had been thrown with enough force to break down a door and all he came out with was a sprain to his paw. She didn't know if it was just a quirk or if it was just the way things were. In the end she was able to give it a quick fix and Cerebus bounced on his feet to show her that he was ready to go. The pair set off through the door albeit a bit more cautious now that she had faced two challenges.

It gave Angela time to think about what she was going to face. It was clear that the Gauntlet drew from the one performing the challenges; drew from their memories, thoughts and feelings. It was a new aspect and she suspected was the reason why Bobby didn't want her to go through it. It was different from the last time.

It was startling to walk into the middle of the panic room. In the middle was the pedestal with the case that the Eye was held in. She knew it was that since she had put it in the box herself. She could easily have gone towards it but she didn't and held back. It may have been silly to wait for the ax to drop in order to try and catch it but she wasn't going to take chances.

"Poor baby," a familiar voice said. "You look just awful and ridiculously funny."

Angela looked at the owner of the voice and replied, "You know me Mary. I always look like shit when on a case."

Mary looked at her friend while in her nightgown and with blood across her middle. "And you look like you did when I died."

"Can hardly blame me," Angela offered. "I knew something wasn't right and I tried. Can't help but feel that I failed you." She gave a tired look at her friend and sat on the cot along the wall. She motioned for Mary to sit and wasn't surprised that she did. "I thought staying away would protect you."

"You know how this life works," Mary replied as she ran her fingers through Angela's hair. "I was born and raised a hunter. You were raised in it. We both know the life can end up bloody; that there are few happy endings."

"But it was something we strove for. Something I said you should go for because you wanted it bad enough. I am only sorry that it ended the way it did."

"And what are you going to do about it now?"

Angela shrugged her shoulders, "Do what I can, Mary. Never stop fighting. Go down swinging."

"Nice words but do you really believe them?"

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like Angie faced two of the three challenges of the Gauntlet. Now she is at the cusp of the third and decides to have a conversation with Mary. What will happen next? Stay tuned for the next thrilling episode of The Calm before the Storm...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_Nice words but do you really believe them?_

Angela looked up with Mary. Both turned to see the owner of the voice looking down at them. She blinked at it knowing exactly what she was in the middle of. She just felt the need to take a breather and it wouldn't hurt to actually have a conversation and make things clear for once. She replied, "I actually do. Take a seat Sam. There's enough room for all three of us." She motioned for the newcomer to sit.

Sam actually followed through and sat to her left. He looked terrible; a look she knew well since she was no stranger to the look of someone detoxing. He looked surprised that Angela wasn't going into the whole thing right away. It was evident when Angela said, "So this is the part where I meet the third challenge right?"

Mary smiled and said, "You always were quick once you picked up on things. I always suspected you knew who I was and still you let me come close."

Angela stretched her limbs and reached out to pet Cerebus. She replied, "Well partly I was curious about how curious a hunter would get about someone like me. Certainly made me prepared to be a bitch to Sam here."

Mary couldn't help but laugh at Angela and they both chuckled. Angela was the first to sober but there was still a smile on her face. "You certainly were curious about me. Sam here was too."

"You were not very forthcoming and you had some impressive moves," Sam admitted as he clenched his hands between his knees. They jittered as he sat there and looked at Angela. He rubbed his hands together.

Angela watched him with a straight look. She reached out with her left and rubbed the top of his clenched hands in a reassuring manner. "Not really. All in the training Sam. How are we doing?"

"Not good," Sam said as he tried to control the jiggling of his legs. "I can't do this Angie. It's painful."

"I know," Angela said still holding Sam's clenching hands. She gave another reassuring squeeze. He wasn't the real Sam but it was the best thing in this situation since she really wanted to be there with him in the real panic room right now. She looked off at the box on the pedestal and continued, "Believe me I know how bad it gets. I was in similar straits once and… if I could, I would do anything to be in your place Sam."

"I'm doing this so you don't have to," Sam said as he looked at her. He sniffed and jiggled his leg. He looked at Mary and said, "Mom, tell her."

"Sam is right. He wants to do this for you," Mary agreed. She looked at Angela and gently brushed a couple of loose locks aside. "He is strong enough to see this through. If you think about it, he is being practical about the whole thing. How many of them have you come across that would think about it that way?"

Angela looked over at Mary. She knew what was being talked about as she continued to hold Sam's hands. It was comforting to her and she liked to think that it was comforting to Sam. She replied, "I've come across a few that learned a few things and ended up dead."

"It's a sacrifice we make as hunters," Mary countered. She put her hands in her lap with an expectant look on her face. "In the end the bigger picture has to be seen." She looked at Angela and her expression was serious as if determined to get her to see.

"There always is the bigger picture, Mary," Angela replied as she leaned against the wall of the panic room. She gave a lopsided grin in her old friend's direction. "You forget that I've been raised on the bigger picture and it has bitten me in the ass more times than I can count."

"Always putting other people before yourself," Sam said with a lopsided smile. "You have a way of making us all feel like douchebags even at our best."

Angela looked at Sam with a tolerant look. He did look awful but such was the way of someone going through detox. She looked like the hag from hell and that was in addition to physical injuries from fighting. She patted his hands and said, "Oh believe me I'm no Mother Teresa. I do what I do because I can and everyone deserves some sort of kindness."

"Even you," Mary said.

"I don't think so," Angela choked out in in chuckle. "Believe me I haven't been worth anyone's time. Not with all the mess I've caused." She sighed and looked forward at the box that was just sitting there on the pedestal.

Sam turned to look at it and then back at Angela, "Why don't you go for it?"

Angela looked at Sam with a raised brow, "You seriously want to ask me that?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders in his Sam way and looked at her. He sniffed a bit before saying, "It's an honest question, Angie. You're here for a purpose and it is just sitting there waiting for you. Could be that you've done what is asked."

Angela looked to her right to silently ask Mary her thoughts. Mary gave a slight shrug, a clear indicator that it was her show and she was running things. Angela looked back at Sam and replied, "Because in my experience nothing is ever simple. And I know that I haven't completed the third challenge. If I were to walk right up to the box, it could be that it is empty and a whole rigmarole of mocking would ensue."

"You always could dramatize everything," Mary said with a teasing smile, "But you have a point."

Sam looked at his mother and gave a slight frown like she was going to spoil things by talking. He looked back at Angela and tentatively reached out for her hand. "Not everything has to be difficult you know. Sometimes less is more."

"True," Angela allowed trying not to react to the fact that the Gauntlet was being an ass for making everything real including how Sam's touch felt to her. It was one of those things that she could appreciate in the torturing sense since she did do that to demons and was pretty good at it and it felt a little weird that she was thinking about those days with a more appreciative rather than shameful manner. "But that is a once in a blue moon occasion. More often it's a run for my money."

Sam studied Angela as she looked ahead at the box. His features became puzzled like he wasn't sure of what to do next. Finally he asked, "Why do you feel it has to be complicated? Don't you trust us?"

"Now that is a poorly worded question," Angela replied looking at Sam with a look. "I trust you and Dean with my life. I don't trust myself."

"You said the same thing when I tried to keep you from leaving the first time," Mary said as she adjusted Angela's locks before resting her hand on Angela's shoulder. She couldn't resist and gave a gentle squeeze.

Angela looked at Mary and gave a slight smile as she put a hand over Mary's. "Well you know it's the truth Mary. I couldn't trust myself to keep you safe especially when I caught wind that Azazel was on the move again. But look how that worked out." She motioned to Mary's middle with her head and a raised brow.

"It was my choice," Mary replied. She sighed and then added, "It was you who told me that we all have choices. It is a matter of making them and accepting the consequences that come with them; work through them and learn from them. It's what inspired my decision to leave the business."

Angela blinked slowly as she studied Mary. She nodded slightly, "Well you're right about that. Unfortunately I seem to be an exception. Everything good in my life has been spoiled because I touched it." She looked at Mary, "Look what happened to you Mary. I tried to lead him away and still he found you and I lost you."

"What about Eli?" Sam put one of his hands on Angela's left shoulder. When she looked at him he continued, "He's safe and he knows you. Look at Akira."

Angela looked at Sam and blinked slowly. "Eli was because I was paranoid," she replied, "And the princess was more of a job that worked out." It was the same thing she had said over the years when anyone mentioned it and she realized that it was getting old. "Believe me Sam. That is not something to laude about me. It was more of a promise so as not to hurt anyone I care about."

"Is that why you think you have to protect me and Dean?" Sam gave a beseeching look as he stared at her. "You think so little of yourself that you don't consider how we would feel?"

Angela looked at Sam and gave a sad smile. Gently she reached out and cupped Sam's cheek and rubbed with her thumb. Damn it was so real but deep down she knew it was only as real as her mind made it so. That was how the Gauntlet played. "I've always considered how you feel. It's all that has concerned me ever since our first job together. It just became complicated when my feelings entered the picture."

"You used to say that you were the complication," Mary pointed out with a slight chuckle. "The complication that drive Dad crazy."

Angela couldn't help but give a chuckle. She looked down to compose herself and replied, "True. I am a complication but… I never used to take my feelings into consideration but…" She paused and looked at Sam and her lip twitched into a sad smile. "I never felt so much as I do for you Sam. It scares me and it scares me a lot."

"There's nothing to be scared of," Sam replied as he stood up to look at Angela. He reached out and grasped her hand. He tugged to bring her to her feet. "I'm doing this for you. You don't have to be the one who has to do everything. You've done enough."

Angela allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. It felt good to look at him even though it was a figment the Gauntlet pulled from her mind and he was a sickly version. She studied him and took in his features. She could only guess at his reasons for doing the demon blood and learning his mojo. What she was certain of was that he wanted to kill Lilith and it seemed partially motivated for revenge. It was news to her to even suggest that he was sparing her the pain of saving the world and maybe end up locked in a fortress of a prison again for doing or worst case scenario… dead.

"I'm trying to do something good with what I've been cursed with. You said it yourself that you didn't see a difference."

Angela pursed her lips as she looked downward trying to figure out what to say. It sounded like her words were being twisted but in a sense they were not. She did say that there was hardly a difference in terms that they both had a abilities and she didn't have a problem with Sam using them to do good. The thing she didn't say was that that she was less than thrilled with the means of achieving what he wanted to do. She knew the path that it would take and it was long, dark and bloody.

"Apart from being someone who would think about others, you were practical too," Mary intoned. "You knew that there were things that needed to be done and you did them."

_And talk about hypocrisy living on in my head_, Angela thought to herself as she listened to Mary. She glanced at her friend and then around the room. It was still the panic room even though she contemplated that it could have been a dozen other places with a similar situation. Being analytical she figured it was because the room was first and foremost on her mind and she was worried about Sam and helping him was her primary goal.

Being reminded of what you do is often a sure sign that things aren't clear very much. Things weren't clear to Angela since Mary was right in that she had gone the practical route and those were the decisions that were hardest because even in the end some of those choices proved to have nasty endings. It was part and part of what she had told both Winchesters that she had friends and enemies; the whole not everyone is happy with the choices she made in the situation at the time. Still she operated by a set of principles that forced her to make the choices she did so… she could admit being guilty of getting on the high horse. Sighing Angela looked at Sam holding her hands and then up at him. She couldn't resist playing with his locks and raked her fingers gently through his hair. "It's true that I have done what needed to be done but it was always at a cost. Can you honestly admit that you are ready and willing to accept those costs?"

It seemed to surprise Sam that she responded the way she did. Finally he said, "It is something that I have to do. Even if it kills me."

"But there are other options in this case," Angela admitted. She lowered her hands and stood to stare at Sam. "I do firmly believe that three strikes and you are not out. There is always one more thing you can do. There is always another option." She couldn't help but smile. She noted the confusion and figured the Gauntlet didn't count on this and was trying. It was her head after all. "I am not scared of what could happen to me in this whole angels and demons crap. I've dealt with them before."

"But you don't have to," Sam said.

"I don't but in the end who is left and willing?" She chuckled a bit and it came out like a hum. "No one ever asks to be the hero or villain. It just turns out that way. In this case… what you're doing, it's all good that you want to have this end but not at the cost to your life. It makes me wish that I stayed instead of running. Maybe things would have worked out differently or I might not have found out what I know deep down."

"What is that?" Sam stared with a quizzical expression on his face.

"That while being alone is a fear of mine, it is nothing compared to what it would be if you were taken from me," Angela admitted. It was easier to admit things when you knew that it wasn't the real person your words were intended for. "So if you want it spelled out, the greatest fear I have is losing you Sam and it is because I… love… you."

Sam stared at Angela for a moment like an inquisitive puppy. Angela didn't budge but stared right back. It was almost like an intense stare off. Finally Sam slowly smiled and said, "The way is open Angie." He took her by the hand and led her to the box and motioned towards it. Everything else disappeared except Sam. He was looking at her with an intense expression and he added, "What you seek is now yours."

* * *

The sky was slowly surrendering to the enveloping darkness of night. The colors of the dying sun streaked the world with oranges, reds and yellows. It was one of those picturesque moments that could only be caught once in a blue moon or by a really good artist. It was one of the few things that Gabriel could appreciate and he learned how to do that not just from his centuries in witness protection but from his Cat. It helped accentuate his appreciation for humans. It was also a good means of being able to digest what he could get from Caleb.

Gabriel knew that his evasiveness on some answers would limit the amount of information but there were some things that he was fiercely private about and more out of a concern for his Cat's safety. Still it was quite a bit to absorb since there were some things he had said earlier that now sounded very wrong but he wasn't wrong. He always knew that there was something that drew him to his Cat and if it were a joke, he could have robbed her cradle when she was born. Right now though he was deep in thought and worried since he sort of was the cause of her going off on her wild goose chase.

"The last time I saw you look like that was when you were trying to give me a good excuse why you left Cas."

Gabriel turned to see a familiar face and gave a halfhearted scowl, "I wasn't trying to give a good excuse but an excuse. And quit twisting my words around Ami."

Amitiel gave a slight chuckle and a toss of her head. She teased, "I wouldn't dream of it since we all know that to mess with Gabe is inviting pain."

Gabriel made a huffing sound, "That is stupid considering you're the one everyone runs from when you get into one of your moods… Except for Cassy." He gave a sly look in the direction of Amitiel. "Must be the baby blues."

Amitiel shot a look at her brother and gave a slight smile, "No more than his hero worship of you."

Gabriel snorted at that. It wasn't too farfetched since he was the one that took Castiel under his wing when they were fledglings. They did have some good times then and then when the real responsibilities hit, that was when things became complicated. "Cassy is Cassy and let's just say that he's always been the good little soldier."

"Probably more than you know," Amitiel replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Gabriel turned a discerning eye onto Amitiel. He looked for any signs that would tell him anything since he knew she disliked telling lies. "He got ass reamed back to heaven didn't he?"

"Let's just say that a few have begun to pick up on the fact that he has loosely interpreted a few things. A few unofficial visits with a certain charge you two share." Amitiel tried to choose her words carefully since she knew well enough that when push came to shove Gabriel was worse than a Grigori. "That and his dealings with the Winchesters."

Gabriel normally would have fumed but he forced himself to listen to what Amitiel was saying. He sighed in exasperation, "Just like Cassy to really get attached to Cat. They would notice because he would give her help even if she didn't call. They are exploiting that bond."

"And you would be right. They have since Absolution came to life so to speak," Amitiel replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. She glanced at the horizon and had to admit that Gabriel knew how to pick points of observation. "They figured to pull her into line by having Cas relay what they wanted."

"Bad move on that end," Gabriel replied. He crossed his arms over his chest in imitation of Amitiel's stance. "They should've known that Cat would listen but not necessarily obey. She always does try to do right by everyone. This latest one… I'm not sure but I understand."

"Oh you understand well enough Gabe," Amitiel replied knowingly. She sighed, "Too bad that it has come to this. Now why couldn't you give a hand?"

"You know that I can't," Gabriel replied with a tolerant look. "I can't because there is the big possibility that it could hurt Sam and I really don't want to have Cat kick my ass into the next apocalypse since she could."

"She would understand."

"But then she wouldn't have learned anything by it."

"So you are trying to teach her a lesson much like a certain trickster would. That's low even for you Gabe." Amitiel looked at her brother with a sort of disapproving look.

"Oh and she saves your ass one time and you think you know her? Think again sister," Gabriel shot back. His tone was snippy but he wasn't afraid of Amitiel. They did once have a match against each other and that was a major storm that went into the human annuals of history.

"I know well enough that you wouldn't be that cruel to her unless there is a reason behind it and you buy somewhat into what she is to the world."

"It is not like that." Gabriel was well aware that he was pouting or looking like it and it could be deemed pathetic since he was an angel.

"Then lay it out for me, Gabe. Believe it or not I care. She may not be my charge but I care and I am grateful that she saved me and Jeremiel." Amitiel paused since she could hear the rumbling in the sky. It was not a good idea to get emotional since she could reveal Gabriel's location and it could make things more difficult for other parties. "Tell me why you can't help Sam Winchester for her. You know better than me the extent of what she feels for him."

"Don't tell me that Ami," Gabriel said forcefully. He let out the breath he had been holding and continued, "I know how she feels about Sammy boy. Believe me I'm over the moon that she gave her heart to someone. She's had companionship but nothing like this and it's what worries me."

"You're worried that her judgment will be clouded."

"There is a first for everything with Cat." Gabriel turned to look away. The sky had grown steadily dark now that the sun had set. "And… I felt it when that… incident happened." He looked at Amitiel and continued, "I knew then before she did and if I were to help and something went wrong… I won't do that."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe she would forgive you?"

"No because I'm an ass and she knows it."

Amitiel made a rude snorting sound. When Gabriel looked at her she said, "Well you are an ass but you are also a dumbass. She would forgive you no matter what because she loves you that much. I am frankly jealous of it."

Gabriel looked at Amitiel a bit surprised at that revelation. "I chose this Ami. Cas was given orders."

"And you both are like brothers to her. You both care." At Gabriel's look she grinned and added, "Like I said. You are an ass and a dumbass."

Gabriel almost wanted to laugh but he didn't. It was a bit insulting the way how she said it but it wasn't any different the way how he viewed himself. He shrugged his shoulder as he agreed, "True, Ami." He sighed as he looked at the landscape. "I wasn't trying to teach her a lesson, Ami. I probably could but the way I know how to do what she wanted me to do… it's very personal."

Amitiel didn't have a clear idea of what he was getting at but she had enough sense to know that it had to do with Absolution and her feelings for Sam Winchester. She also knew that the youngest Winchester was getting into things that were on the way to damnation. It was no wonder Absolution would go to Gabriel. She asked, "How personal?"

"Like grace personal," Gabriel allowed. "It was done out of desperation because she was suffering from the same thing Sammy boy is. I couldn't take it and just did it. It is one of those old things and she can't do it. She needs to find her own way."

"Developing the healer in her," Amitiel affirmed. At Gabriel's look she said, "It's not that hard to figure out given what she has done in particular to the demons lately. But I think you're more worried about something else."

"No."

"Gabe."

"Not telling."

"You know I still can deliver on the pretzel maneuver."

"Don't go there. Cassy will have my hide if he ever found out."

"You seemed to enjoy it."

"Only because I enjoy pain." Gabriel crossed his arms and pouted a bit. He stared at Amitiel for a moment and then gave a slight nod. "I saw Caleb. I needed some questions answered." He stopped and said, "You feel that?"

Amitiel paused and searched the horizon. "I do. Gotta go. Talk later."

* * *

**A/N:** Angie faces her third trial and Gabe and Amitiel have a nice conversation of siblings. Seems like they are stuck in the middle and figuring out what to do. Keep watching for more The Calm before the Storm...


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sam slowly opened his eyes and grimaced in pain. He had a very unpleasant and hurtful conversation with Dean. He couldn't believe his own brother would say that about him and about her. Dean had called him a monster and he called her a monster and a bloodsucking bitch. It hurt because all his life Dean had told him that the things that happened weren't his fault and he knew that she was a good person. Nothing had changed that. Even Dean admitted that and the way his brother protected her…

He had begged his brother to stop saying those things but they resounded in his head as Dean said the words over and over. He knew that he had been hallucinating all day and it did occur to him at some point that it was a hallucination of Dean but… Dean was a lot of things but he could be brutally honest when he needed to be. After all, his brother wasn't too far off the mark.

Sam always knew that something was different about him. Maybe that was why he was the one banging the monsters so to speak; he was a monster and like stuck with like. Right? Sam stared up at the ceiling of the panic room and noted that it was dark. He had been in there a full day and he felt like shit. Maybe that's why he hung out with her a lot because in the simple black and white version, she was a monster just like him and she was quick to point it out in her subtle way.

He didn't like it that she would do that to herself. Maybe he was kidding himself and she was humoring him. No, she wouldn't lie about it. She did say that his conviction made her willing to believe his assertion more. Sam tried to move to rub his head but he was strapped to the cot and it didn't allow him much in terms of movement. At least they weren't cutting into his skin. His brother and Bobby had the decency or kindness to wrap his wrists and ankles.

It was like a bad dream when he turned his head and caught sight of her walking around and looking. He saw her wrists rubbed raw and they were blistered with burns. Sam blinked as his addled mind produced a mixed image of when she had been kidnapped for that fight club and the damage to her wrists then and of course when she was chained by Alistair… those had been nasty and her hands were blistered too. Sam closed his eyes and when he opened them, she was gone. He sighed and looked up.

Sasha had been lying pretty much on Sam the entire time he had been passed out after being flung around and seizing. She had gotten on top and refused to budge even when Dean and Bobby tried to get her to leave. She was protecting her alpha's alpha from whatever it was. She couldn't understand it but she picked up that it was demonic in origin. So she stayed and kept Sam warm and watched for any signs that were as serious as the last time.

She had woken up when Sam did and felt him tremble. She lifted her head and listened to him converse with his brother even though she couldn't see him. It distressed Sam and she whined when it became too much. This was becoming too much and she wished that the alpha would come back soon. She trudged on the best that she could and Sam seemed to draw some comfort since he was able to touch and play with her fur.

Sam moved his head and found that Sasha hadn't moved from where she had taken up residence on top of him. She was still puppy size so the weight wasn't uncomfortable but it was soothing. He managed a slight smile, "It's okay Sasha."

Sasha turned to look at Sam and gave a slight whine. She nosed his hand even though he didn't have much in terms of moving. She just wanted him to know that things were okay. She whined again to show her sympathy. She put her head on his chest and made a low sound.

Sam felt a little better. He closed his eyes and went back to sleep. It was just too painful to keep his eyes open. It was easier to tell that the nightmares and dreams were what they were. When he was awake there seemed to be no fine line between hallucination and reality. The cold wetness from Sasha's nose helped in a sort of comforting way since he was now certain that she was real.

It was only a few minutes later that the cuffs on Sam's wrists and ankles popped open. Sam had his eyes opened the moment he heard the sound and looked down to find his limbs free. Slowly he sat up and Sasha moved to allow it by jumping off the cot but staying close. At that moment, the door to the panic room creaked as it opened. Sam looked at it in bewilderment. "Hello?"

No one answered and Sam looked down at Sasha. She looked at the door and made an inquisitive whine. It told Sam that it wasn't demonic since Sasha would have been growling and snarling her head off. It prompted Sam to stand up and push the door open further, "Anyone here?"

It was puzzling to Sam as he looked around. Finding no trace of anything helping him get out he started for the stairs. Sasha followed him, her nails clicking on the ground as she followed him up the stairs. Sam knew he had to go and made a beeline for his jacket. He paused when he heard a low moan from Sasha and looked down, "Hey. Can you keep quiet?"

Sasha made a sound and continued to follow Sam through the house. Sam paused when he got to the living room and noted that Dean was asleep on the couch and Bobby was hunched over his desk also asleep. He could make out the night filtering through the window and it confirmed that he must have been locked in an entire day. _An entire day and I look like shit_, he couldn't help but think as he stole past the sleeping hunters.

He wasn't too out of it to realize that Angela was nowhere in sight. He didn't even see Cerebus wandering around as he looked about. He had the slight pang of hurt thinking that she couldn't stand to be around him. In truth he didn't blame her. The look on her face when she saw him in that warehouse was ingrained in his mind. It was also like that look he really didn't like since he could never tell what she was thinking or feeling at the moment. Sasha made a slight noise and it forced Sam to look down at her. "What?"

Sasha gave him a look, _You are being stupid. The alpha doesn't hate you._

Sam thought he was definitely going crazy when he realized he could read the expression the dog was giving him. Then again it could be the detox he was going through and part of the hallucinations. "Stop looking at me like that," he muttered as he went to one of the cars in Bobby's junkyard. He started fiddling with the slim Jim to break in.

Sasha made a low moaning sound as if to say Sam was being a bonehead. She didn't go away though and stayed by Sam even when Bobby came out with his shotgun drawn. She made a high pitched whine at the sound and almost cowered as Bobby said, "Uh-uh Sam. The only place you're going is back inside with me."

Sam looked at Bobby. He sniffed and shuffled on his feet. He glanced at Sasha and noted that she was conflicted. He didn't blame her. She knew him and Bobby and she was torn with indecision. If she wanted to stay she was more than welcome to. It was just… He looked at Bobby and said, "No."

"Dammit boy," Bobby groused as he held his shotgun pointed at Sam. It was some relief that Sasha wasn't going to stop him. He wouldn't have been able to deal with Sam and a dog at the same time and he didn't relish the idea of dealing with Angela if her dog was injured.

"You won't shoot me Bobby," Sam said sniffing.

"Don't test me."

"You won't do it," Sam replied as he stepped forward until the end of the barrel was smack flush against his chest. "You can't do it." He heard Sasha whining her distress.

"We're trying to help you Sam," Bobby pleaded. He didn't want to shoot Sam. "Angie is out there finding a means to help you and it is not a walk in the park." He hoped that the fact that Angela was out there doing something dangerous would have some effect on Sam.

Sam paused a moment. "Angie's…"

"Doing everything to help ya son," Bobby countered. "You know how that girl thinks."

Sam looked off to the side. A sad sort of expression came over his face. He then looked at Bobby and pulled the barrel of the shotgun higher up, right to the point where it wouldn't miss his heart. "Then shoot."

Bobby thought Sam was going off the deep end since that was not a normal response when it came to Angela. He hesitated and it cost him. Sam grabbed the end of the shotgun, yanked it out of the elder hunter's hands and used it to knock him out. Sam looked at the unconscious hunter on the ground and made a hiccupping sigh. He looked at Sasha who was whining and she pawed at Bobby. He was sorry he had to do this.

Dropping the shotgun, Sam opened the car and started fiddling with the wires to hotwire it. He got it started and was going to take off when he heard scratching on the door. He said, "Not this time Sasha."

The scratching kept up and going into overtime. It was like Sasha was trying to dig her way into the car. Sam could hear her whining and yelping. She was going hysterical and he couldn't afford to have her in the way. Yet he couldn't bring himself to open the door and strike at her to go away. He wasn't going to hit her with the car either. That would be… Sighing he took in the clicking of her nails on the door and finally opened his door. "Come on."

Sasha climbed into the car over his lap and took the shotgun seat. She was still whining like she was in high distress. It had Sam wondering what the hell Angela had done in terms of giving the pup her orders or whatever it was she did. He figured it was a go word she used on the dogs and they obeyed. He was no expert in training dogs but… Reaching over he rubbed Sasha on the head and murmured, "It's okay." He gunned the engine and left the junkyard leaving Bobby unconscious on the ground.

It was a simple matter to ditch the car and find a place to hide and get to Ruby. Sam was getting desperate and he needed more. He managed to find a motel and book a room that few people would ever get the hint to find him in. It just happened to be a bonus he supposed that the owner let him bring Sasha in; probably thought that she was his only companion and he was a pathetic bastard. Maybe that wasn't too far off.

It felt like an eternity waiting in that room as he made the call and prepared to wait. He looked at Sasha who was looking at him and said, "What? I need it. You know that."

Sasha just whined and gave him a look that said, _The alpha knows more. You're being stupid._

Sam gave the dog a look. He couldn't help but give her a frown. He couldn't understand it and voiced it, "Then why are you here? You could have just stayed."

Sasha made a low sound from her chest and stepped forward. She nosed his hand and moved to sit beside him. She put her head on his knee even though it was jittering. He clenched his hands together before releasing them and rubbing the pup on the head. He couldn't help but hug her around the neck more out of comfort before releasing her to pace around. She didn't move but he knew someone was at the door when he heard the low growl from her chest.

Sam waited for the knock and let Ruby in. She was grinning as she said, "Honeymoon suite - really, I'm flattered." When she saw Sasha who was growling at her the smile turned into a frown. "And you brought the four legged beast of hell."

Sasha continued to growl. It was a low rumble deep within her chest. She was still sitting where she had had taken position. It meant that she hadn't been given an order to attack but that didn't mean that she couldn't let her displeasure be shown. She wasn't even showing her teeth which was a good thing for the demon.

Sam waved at Sasha and said, "She won't hurt you. Did you bust me out of that room?"

"How could I, Sam? The whole thing's engineered to bite me in the ass," ruby replied as she took off her jacket. She eyed Sasha warily since the mutt still was growling at her. Sam may have said she wouldn't do anything but she knew they had to ditch the mutt and soon.

"Then how'd I get out of there?" Sam was confused about the whole thing. If it wasn't Ruby, then who was it?

"I don't know and I don't wanna know." Ruby had some ideas but she wasn't going to entertain them. "You're out, that's all that matters. I'm glad you're here." She smiled at Sam even though he looked like a train wreck.

"Yeah? Where the hell have you been?" Sam was getting agitated by the small talk but he knew well enough not to get too emotional. It might incite Sasha to attack and a quick look at her told him that she would if she perceived a threat.

Ruby snapped, "I got here as quick as I could."

"I mean the past three weeks. I've been calling you!" Sam nearly shouted his response but controlled it to make it sound like he was just pissed off.

Ruby paused since he knew the truth for that. She offered, "I've been pretty deep in it, trying to dig out Lilith. Sometimes I can't sit around and check my voicemail." It wasn't the complete truth but she wasn't going to tell Sam that. She had a score to settle and if this was the way to do it then she would.

The reason she hadn't been able to get in touch the past three weeks was a two part answer. True she was in deep trying to find out what Lilith was up to but the other part was that it had taken that long for her to recover from the nasty bout she had been in that really did some serious damage to her person.

She had been surprised that the Absolution, the bitch, decided to change the rules. She and Sam had been careful about the demon blood thing and yet Absolution revealed that she knew what she was doing. Ruby had to curse that they hadn't been too careful. She failed to take into account the possibility that Absolution had been able to smell it. That was a moot point anyway since Absolution decided to end their agreement to a ceasefire.

It was tempting to tell Sam the whole truth but Ruby hesitated. She wanted to have a rematch with Absolution. Their last fight ended up making the place look like it had been hit by a semi-truck. She had managed to crack a few of Absolution's ribs not to mention a couple of nasty welts on her pretty little face but she failed to dish out serious damage. It was Absolution that gave it out the worst and it had Ruby wondering how long the bitch had been hiding her light under a bush. It pissed her off that the bitch was able to deliver blows that involved blood spilling from her and it didn't even involve that bloody blade.

It had been handled in hand to hand combat. Thinking about it, Ruby had the brief thought that Sam's dumbass brother Dean would find it amusing that she and Absolution were in a fight. The pervert things that went through that guy's head. In the end Absolution left a couple of lasting impressions on her especially an injury that while healed still produced a pang of pain every now and then. It was right on her right clavicle and it felt like she had been shot in a through and through with a high caliber rifle. It pissed her off and made her determined to dish it back on the bitch. Too bad if Sam had thoughts about it.

Looking at Sam, she took in his appearance and decided to be sympathetic. It would have given her satisfaction to imply that Absolution didn't trust Sam's judgment and decided to take the matter into her own hands but like Absolution, she could wait and then spring her trap. She said, "I'm sorry you're hurting. Really. I had no idea that Dean and Angela would do that to you."

"She didn't do a damn thing to me," Sam pointed out. "But I had no idea either that Dean would do that."

Ruby was a bit surprised at Sam's response. He was still willing to defend her from any attempts at slander. His high regard of her was always the sticking point when they were doing their thing and getting him strong enough. "That's a surprise."

"Leave Angie alone," Sam replied firmly. He sniffed a bit and glanced at Sasha. She hadn't moved and was still growling.

"Fine," Ruby conceded since she knew that the mutt wouldn't hesitate to make her move. She calmed down and looked at Sam and asked, "You didn't book this joint just to impress me, did you?"

"He's gonna come after me," Sam replied, walking closer. He was tempted to pounce on Ruby but he had some model of propriety. He could be sensible about this and be proof to his brother and to Angela that he could do this and didn't need to be locked up in the panic room. "And he knows my habits, my aliases, everything. He knows exactly which motel I'd pick."

"You know she would too. Who's to say that she won't be the one coming through that door to find you?"

"She doesn't know where I am," Sam replied as he absorbed Ruby's words. He knew that they didn't like each other and Angela had warned him that she would hit back hard if it came down to it. He saw the look that Ruby was giving him and added, "She's not like an angel or demon. She doesn't know and…"

"She's Absolution Sam. If she wanted to, she would find you. It wouldn't surprise me if she used the mutt there as a homing beacon or something." Ruby gestured towards the dog and started planting the seeds. "If that's the case, you need to get rid of it."

Sam looked at Sasha. She was still growling and looking at Ruby but she hadn't moved. He considered Ruby's words but he refused to believe them. He had completely forgotten about the time Dean was sick from the cut on his leg and even then he assumed that she called Bobby for any hints and she did have a brain.

Ruby noticed the look of indecision in his eyes. It was planted and it was up to him on how he wanted to handle it. She went back to the business at hand, "I can see why you picked this room."

"Whatever it takes to shake him," Sam replied as he went back to looking at Ruby.

"Well it won't be easy, I mean… he knows you more than anyone," Ruby countered as she gestured towards Sam. "And if he teams up with the cow then…" She left him hanging with that. Still needed to put the needles and barbs in there to cause enough doubt.

"He doesn't know me as well as he thinks," Sam replied deliberately leaving Angela out of the equation.

Ruby noticed and realized that Sam's opinion on Absolution was firmly entrenched in his brain. It would have to take something drastic for him to change it. It looked like it was going to take a hardcore fight between her and that cow. Still she could play the game still. She said gently, "You know, it's sad."

"What is?" Sam looked at Ruby. He was getting low on his patience. He needed the demon blood and this chit chat was making him crazy.

Ruby smiled as she reached up to put a lock of Sam's hair behind his ear. She shrugged her shoulders as she replied, "That things have gotten this bad between you two and you haven't even mentioned the cow with the blade."

"Don't call her that Ruby," Sam warned.

"Don't get all upset Sam. We don't like each other and that is a known fact. Nothing is going to change it," Ruby countered. "I am just surprised that you don't put her in the same category as you do your brother."

Sam felt his lip twitch. He looked off to the side since he wasn't sure of what to say at the moment. Finally he said, "Angie… she's different. She knows what is at stake."

"And I don't see her stepping up to do what you're doing," Ruby replied with a raised brow.

"She has her own way and I have mine. And we respect that."

"Really?"

"Can you leave it alone Ruby? I need it."

Ruby knew that she had to keep going. She was curious on some level as to what Absolution did that had Sam so firmly entrenched in the idea that she wasn't in the same class as Dean in terms of what had been done to him. "No Sam, because I know Absolution. Her track record is to hide until it is too late. Where was she when you got out?"

That was a good question. Bobby told Sam that she was out doing something to find something to help him. The grizzled hunter implied that it was a dangerous situation she was walking into. That didn't cast feelings of suspicion though. It was feelings of concern and worry. When he had paused earlier after hearing that from Bobby, he had wanted to say something, a reflection of his thoughts. He was not worth the time if he was going to end up like that.

Ruby thought she had cast enough seeds of doubt. She knew that the major block was Absolution. If she still had influence on Sam, she could use that and convince him to stop and that would put a dampener on the plan. She said, "I'm sorry Sam. Sometimes you just can't trust someone who has a sketchy track record."

Sam turned to look sharply at Ruby. That wasn't true, not with Angela. Yet his craving for blood was overwhelming. With a forceful motion he grabbed the demon and pushed her onto the bed. He looked down at the demon, the scent of blood driving him crazy enough that it was easy to mistake the look he shot Ruby as one of lust. With slow and deliberate movements, he ran his hand down Ruby's torso, her hips, down to the boot where she kept her knife. He took it out, looking at it like he had won a major prize and looked at it with a slight look of indecision.

Ruby just lay still on the bed. It was like anticipation of good sex. There was one thing that she could say and agree with Absolution on. The whole blood drinking, it was like having sex, very good sex. She couldn't help but twitch her lip in pleasure at the feeling of Sam sucking her blood but also at the fact that she could feel his desperation. They were so close. _You are setting yourself up for failure, Absolution bitch. I am still here._

* * *

**A/N:** Sam escapes the panic room and meets up with Ruby with Sasha as the tagalong. What next? Find out next time on The Calm before the Storm...


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 12**

Angela knew she had been a bit terse with Dean but she sensed that time was of the essence. Sam had escaped and she knew that he would take Sasha. Well Sasha would have put up a fuss since she was obeying her orders of staying with Sam no matter what and to watch over him. She had given the pup the order before she departed from Bobby's house and she knew that Sasha would have done it anyway because she liked Sam. The other thing was that she was pissed that Ruby dared to show her face again.

The last time they met it was a royal rumble. They made it look like that a semi crashed but there was no truck to back it up. She walked away with bruises, a fat lip and some bruised and cracked ribs and maybe a couple of busted ribs. At the time she was more pleased at what she did to Ruby. Like Alistair and Lenya, she left the bitch with a souvenir as well as some nasty contusions to the point that she suffered some serious blood loss. It seemed though that it wasn't enough since she was back.

Even though what Dean said was supposition, she was certain Ruby was back. Definitely not at full strength to attempt to break Sam out; that was something else and it gave her a few ideas. Part of it was that she knew the skank. Ruby may have been regretful of trying to go after her and not knowing who she was when she did but the encounters after that… those were no accident. Each one made Dean and Sam's pissing matches look like a tea party.

_The night was young as Angela walked through the town. She was looking for her client who requested help. She was an anomaly since she was a lady doing men's work but no one complained. Her reputation was enough to have this one trust her to help him. He had crossed a witch the wrong way accidentally and needed her help._

_ She had managed to reason with the witch and they had tea over it. She was coming back to talk to her client and inform him of what was going on. They were supposed to meet behind the livery which was where she was headed. When she rounded the corner she spotted her client and said, "What happened? I told you that…"_

_ The slumped over body had her back up. She knew that he was dead and immediately looked around. It was then that the bitch showed up. She was wearing a different meat suit from the last time but she recognized her by the smell. Narrowing her eyes she looked at the bitch and maneuvered for a better tactical position. "What the hell are you doing here bitch?"_

_ "Is that a way to greet an old friend?"_

_ "You're not any friend of mine."_

_ "I know. So sad and I see that once again something you touched ended up dead. Must be hard being you."_

Angela blinked as she took the exit she needed to get her to North Dakota. Her confrontations with Ruby in the past had been bloody and there were people who had gotten caught in the crossfire. The only reason they had been able to survive was because she sacrificed her tactical advantage to save them. It was what Ruby knew and depended upon when they started this harassment business.

The only reason she adopted an armistice was because of Sam. He wanted to try the way Ruby suggested and she was willing to go with it simply because she wanted him to be able to stand on his two feet in terms of his ability to make a tactical decision and then living with the consequences. Of course she knew the path he was on too well and this was one time that she needed to interfere and try to make him see what was wrong with his idea. She hated to think of alternatives of physically stopping this with the exception of her actually giving the bitch Ruby what she truly deserved.

Cerebus made a noise and it caused Angela to look in his direction. He was giving her that look that said that he knew her agitation and was going to be supportive. She gave a slight smile as she reached over to rub the mutt. "I know boy. I am getting too bent out of shape over this. I never did before."

She knew that she had been rather abrupt when Gabriel asked her what was wrong. Yet he had been understanding about the whole thing. She couldn't explain how she knew something was wrong but she did. It could have been related to Ares' joke about her having a sixth sense to her sixth sense and she would have been inclined to agree. Deep down she knew that something was wrong and it involved Sam. It was like those gut wrenching feelings she had when the Old Man decided to have fun with her. Her response though didn't seem to surprise Gabriel that much.

The appearance of the archangel stirred up some questions but like he admitted he liked toeing the line and pushing the envelope. She did to on occasion which was why she had fun with Dean arguing using semantics. Yet his presence was reassuring, much more than Castiel's since she was certain that something was up. She did have to admit the angel picked a fine time to tell her things that she said 'fuck you' to destiny but still… she could understand better why things worked out the way they did and it sort of placed the seed for her to think about Castiel's behavior and how the heck he was able to find her even though she blocked him. It was a lot to think about.

Gabriel understood the urgency once she identified the source of the problem. In fact neither him nor the Alchemist seemed particularly surprised she picked it up. It was then that she checked her cell phone and found the voice mail messages from Dean. She felt bad that he hadn't been able to reach her and hearing the way how his voice sounded over the phone… It pulled at her heart. Then that message about Sam getting out…

She couldn't get out of the Gauntlet fast enough. Josiah wasn't put out at the way she left the building; it was like he expected it. Gabriel actually offered to send her there via Angel Air. It was a surprising gesture but then there was the issue of the car. Of course she trusted Gabriel enough not to damage her baby but in the end she needed the time to garner focus. She told him, "I think I should drive. Clear the head thing."

Gabriel had understood and nodded his understanding. He couldn't help but give a gentle kiss to her cheek. It allowed him to whisper, "You know who to call if you need anything."

Now she was on the road headed towards North Dakota. As soon as she hit the road, she called Dean and learned a little more about what happened and where he was headed. While it was probably a good idea to team up with Dean on this, she wanted to go it alone. She didn't want any mistakes, unnecessary interruptions, though she expected that from Ruby and if she screwed up then it was on her. Also she felt time was of the essence and pausing to meet up could eat into that and she couldn't explain it but she knew where Sam was or had some inkling and she was following it.

_You have talents that need to be developed Cat. That trick I showed you. Start small with that and let it grow._

It was funny how she could recall tidbits from Gabriel and it was long after their conversations. How much of it was memory and how much of it was reminders through that guardian-charge bond thing she couldn't say. It did provide some measure of comfort as she put her foot on the gas and sped down the highway. She relished the rumble of the engine and mentally made a note to take Deanna out on a hunt the next time out. She sighed and looked forward already starting to figure out what she was going to do when she got to Jamestown, North Dakota.

* * *

"That was the lowest thing you ever did."

Castiel didn't turn just yet but he knew that he was in the presence of someone who was, for lack of a better expression, pissed off and at him. He knew who it was and he was well aware what it was like when her wrath was tested.

"I swear Cas. Sometimes you just follow blindly…"

Castiel sighed and turned, "I have my orders Amitiel."

Amitiel stood there looking at Castiel trying not to go all smiting on his ass. Instead she adopted the hands on the hips routine. That seemed to work out better than most things and certainly made an impression on the Winchesters when they were in trouble with Absolution. "Orders my ass. You knew the situation was serious."

"Things have to go their due course. We are the instruments of Fate," Castiel replied.

"In the vast majority of things when we are to give a push. That is our job," Amitiel admitted. Being an archangel she had a different set of duties with regards to being an angel but there were some duties that crossed boundaries. "We don't do things like this."

"It has to be done."

"Absolution was looking for a solution to help Sam. He is drinking demon blood. His brother put him in that position to help him and Absolution was trying to find something better and you screwed with it." Amitiel snorted in anger as she waved her hands at Castiel.

She had been talking with Gabriel when she sensed something wasn't right. It was like a change in the wind or something but it came from Castiel. It was the faintest hint of guilt and when she felt that, it meant that something was going down. When she looked at her brother Gabriel she could tell that something was up.

They ended up splitting up. He would go to Absolution and she would go to Castiel. It took a while and in the end she wasn't too pleased at all about what had happened. She looked around and picked up something else and narrowed her eyes, "And you let them take Anna. Cas, what did you do?"

"We have our orders Amitiel," Castiel replied in the gruff firm tones. "Anna is still a fugitive, an offense to the will of God."

"An offense? Cas, she disagreed with one thing and that labeled her as a traitor? That is complete bullshit."

"You should be careful Amitiel," Castiel warned. His tone was firm but his eyes said much.

Amitiel saw the look and calmed down considerably but she was still upset about the whole thing. So there was still some of the old Castiel in there. It was just a matter of getting it to come back. "And you know about me. I think the Grand Canyon is a good example."

Castiel raised his brow slightly at that. He was well aware that any of his brothers who dared to challenge Amitiel ended up with serious fall out. It was worse when she considered their words to be a lie. He knew that it was serious with this and searched for the right words to say, "It is true that certain things have happened as a result of disagreement."

"Don't try it Cas. I'm still pissed at what you did and I want to know why. And don't say that it was orders."

"That is all there is to say."

"You didn't have to contribute. Absolution was going to find something to help and you may have made things worse." Amitiel paused a bit and studied the angel. "Did you do this on purpose to change her mind?"

"What?"

"Come on Cas. You must have seen it, sensed it; about how she feels about Sam." Amitiel prompted Castiel to say something, anything about it. "Was it out of sheer jealousy? I could expect that from Sam and it has been entertaining but from you?"

Castiel didn't look Amitiel in the eye. He looked down at the ground as he replied, "The Malachi is a servant to all. What she is doing is an act of selfishness."

"And I don't' believe for one second that you are going to use that excuse," Amitiel countered. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Castiel. "She is the least selfish human or half human I've met. She is the first to sacrifice herself if it meant to save others… even more so if it is someone she really cares about. Do you really think that she would give up caring about you?"

"She needs to be clear headed about this."

"Cas."

Castiel looked at Amitiel and noted the stance. He wondered who picked up what from whom. "She…"

"Cas, tell the truth. You are capable of that and I know that the general didn't eradicate everything you picked up watching over Absolution. Why are you being a colossal dickhead?"

Castiel looked at Amitiel and could tell that she wasn't going to let her go. There was also the fact that he couldn't tell a lie. She was the archangel of Truth and had a thing for sniffing out lies. She could even tell if he sort of told the truth but circumvented what she was looking for. She was not in the mood for hearing the standard answer.

Amitiel knew he was stuck in a place of indecision. He was well aware that she could sniff out a lie and half-truths. He was also struggling in his 'reprogramming' to obey orders. She had been a bit harsh but she couldn't believe that it was just orders that motivated Castiel to do what he did and release Sam from his confines. Gently she said, "Cas… why?"

"Maybe… maybe I was motivated by… personal reasons." Castiel didn't look at Amitiel but rather at the landscape. "Sam Winchester is set on his own destruction. She needs to see that."

"And is that why you tried to stop her from going through the Gauntlet?"

"She was and still is needed," Castiel replied as he looked up to look at Amitiel in the eye. "The time has come for Absolution to step up and help the one who begins it to end it."

Amitiel shook her head in an almost pitying manner. Castiel was jealous on some level or being fiercely protective. Unfortunately it would have to be something that he would have to figure out himself eventually. At least he was somewhat on that track. "She is not going to give you up so easily you know," she pointed out. "More likely she will say fuck you to destiny and go about it her own way because she feels it to be the right thing. You hated it when they made her torture Alistair. You didn't want that and yet it was geared to get her to be something the general wants."

Castiel said nothing but looked at Amitiel. It almost looked like he was going to become angry and leave. He knew that Amitiel was right about a few things. There were other things he had to think about since there were things that conflicted with what he had been re-educated with. Finally he said, "You know as well as I that what she is destined for will happen."

"But let it happen her own way. You should be happy that she has something to keep her steady." Amitiel paused and then continued, "She won't let the world burn but she won't sacrifice the one person that matters for it either. You just better hope that she's is a better frame of mind once she finds Sam and does what she needs to do. Cause I don't want to witness that."

She turned to go but was halted but Castiel saying, "I will… think on what you have said. I care about her and don't want her hurt."

"It's a start."

* * *

Sam looked up at the ceiling of the room. He felt a whole lot better now that he had gotten what he had needed. He was no longer shaking and he was certain that no more hallucinations were coming. The very low moan though had him realize that there was at least one thing in the room that was not happy with the situation.

It surprised him that Sasha hadn't moved but he was right in that she wouldn't go after Ruby. She was used to taking orders and it made sense. She was trained to obey orders. Yet Sam knew deep down that there was more to that dog like there was to Cerebus. Still she was still here and that had to account for something.

"You're appetite's has gotten much bigger," Ruby's voice entered. Her expression held a certain satisfaction that was hidden to Sam but blatantly obvious to anyone else who would have seen it.

Sam frowned as his thoughts were interrupted and turned his head to look at Ruby. He propped himself up and asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ruby had her head propped on her hand. She saw the concern and she had to assuage Sam that it was okay… not that he was but still. She replied, "Sam it's okay. It's good. It just means you're getting stronger, that's all."

Sasha gave a low growl at that. Ruby knew that they had to get rid of the mutt. She didn't doubt that Absolution had something going on with the presence of the mutt. Yet the mutt didn't show any sign of disobeying any order Sam had given it. She ignored the mutt and added, "It means you're strong enough to kill Lilith. Just in time too because the final seals are breaking."

Sam had heard Sasha's growl in response to Ruby's words. He couldn't tell if it was just because Ruby was talking or it was in response to what was being said. In some twisted way, it was almost hearing Angela scoff at Ruby. He had witnessed enough of their conversations to know how that would turn out. It was something to think about. Right now there were final seals breaking. He asked, "How many are left?"

"Three? Two?"

Sam didn't expect to hear that. "What? Where are the angels?"

"Screwing the pooch wherever they are," Ruby offered. Now was the time to be a bit of a pin prick. "Maybe ignoring the seals and getting Absolution to their side. She is supposed to be their Champion after all."

It was almost a surge of panic Sam felt. If the angels came after her and she resisted because of how she felt about them… Who was to say they wouldn't do what they did to Castiel? "They would come for her?"

"And isolate her and make her ready however the hell they do it," Ruby replied a bit annoyed at where this was going. "The point is, it's looking more and more like we're getting down to the final seal. And I found out something big."

Sam didn't like the idea of the angels doing something to Angela. Castiel wouldn't let anything happen to her. He was her guardian angel and he wasn't blind to the fact that whenever she was in trouble the angel had a propensity to show up. But if the angels did get their hands on her… She wasn't going to like being forced into something against her will. Ruby's last statement had him focused and he looked at her, "What?"

"Seal 66. It can't be broken by just any demon. Apparently only Lucifer's first can do it," Ruby explained.

"Lucifer's first?" Sam knew full well what Ruby meant by that. Angela herself had referred to Lilith as the First on multiple occasions. The response just allowed him some time to process what he was hearing and to come up with a means of finding out if Angela was okay. He was willing to do this but only if she was okay in terms of not being accidentally caught in the crossfire because she was answering a call to arms.

"Demon Sunday school story. God prefers humans to angels," Ruby explained. She didn't see that Sam was thinking of other things as he was listening. "Lucifer gets jealous and then he gets creative. And he twists and tempts a human soul into the very first demon as a 'screw you' to God. It's what got him locked up in the first place."

"That was Lilith?" Sam thought about it and what Angela had revealed when she made her comments. It was one of those times that he wished she didn't feel the need to protect him from everything.

"She's way older than she looks. She's friends with Tiamat, the demon goddess," Ruby said, "Lilith really was surprised that Absolution was able to do what she did and now Tiamat can't get out of wherever she sent her."

Sam remembered that. Then again there was something to go on here, "Wait so…" He hitched himself higher up on the bed and continued, "If Lilith is the only one who can break the final seal… if I get to her in time…"

"Then Lucifer never busts out of his cage. Exactly," Ruby finished, pleased that Sam was finally getting on track to what needed to be done. She grinned to show that she was pleased.

"Great," Sam replied finally feeling that something good was coming out of this. "You figure out where she is?"

"The bitch can hide," Ruby admitted. She knew that there was one person who could find Lilith. She hated to admit it but Absolution was _way_ better at tracking down demons than the best of the Hunter lines. Of course it made sense since the cow was the First Slayer of demons. It was no wonder that Lilith was interested in her. Two Firsts together…

Sam was in similar thought of Ruby in that he knew one person who could help find Lilith. It was going to be a bitch making them work together but if it was for a greater good, there was no way Angela would pass it up. "Angie could find her."

"And you have no idea where she is." Ruby felt like she was getting road blocked every step of the way. This was going to be a hard one. "How are you even going to find her?"

"Just a phone call," Sam pointed out.

"And what? Hope she's in the area?" Ruby propped herself up. She didn't expect this but she had to play it off. "I have a lead on someone who might be able to help us. I closed in on a member of Lilith's entourage. You might call her… a personal chef?"

"Chef? Seriously?" Sam looked at Ruby wondering if he was hearing right. Seeing the confirmation on Ruby's face he couldn't help but ask, "What does she eat?"

Ruby shook her head, "You don't want to know." She couldn't help but smirk at Sam and add, "Now tell me: can the cow Absolution do any better?" She looked at Sam a noted his expression at her reference to Absolution and raised her brow at him to challenge anything that he was going to say. She was so close.

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like Amitiel is having words with Cas and Ruby drops her bombshell about Lilith. Let's see where it goes next time on The Calm before the Storm...


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Angela knew she had been a bit terse with Dean but she sensed that time was of the essence. Sam had escaped and she knew that he would take Sasha. Well Sasha would have put up a fuss since she was obeying her orders of staying with Sam no matter what and to watch over him. She had given the pup the order before she departed from Bobby's house and she knew that Sasha would have done it anyway because she liked Sam. The other thing was that she was pissed that Ruby dared to show her face again.

The last time they met it was a royal rumble. They made it look like that a semi crashed but there was no truck to back it up. She walked away with bruises, a fat lip and some bruised and cracked ribs and maybe a couple of busted ribs. At the time she was more pleased at what she did to Ruby. Like Alistair and Lenya, she left the bitch with a souvenir as well as some nasty contusions to the point that she suffered some serious blood loss. It seemed though that it wasn't enough since she was back.

Even though what Dean said was supposition, she was certain Ruby was back. Definitely not at full strength to attempt to break Sam out; that was something else and it gave her a few ideas. Part of it was that she knew the skank. Ruby may have been regretful of trying to go after her and not knowing who she was when she did but the encounters after that… those were no accident. Each one made Dean and Sam's pissing matches look like a tea party.

_The night was young as Angela walked through the town. She was looking for her client who requested help. She was an anomaly since she was a lady doing men's work but no one complained. Her reputation was enough to have this one trust her to help him. He had crossed a witch the wrong way accidentally and needed her help._

_ She had managed to reason with the witch and they had tea over it. She was coming back to talk to her client and inform him of what was going on. They were supposed to meet behind the livery which was where she was headed. When she rounded the corner she spotted her client and said, "What happened? I told you that…"_

_ The slumped over body had her back up. She knew that he was dead and immediately looked around. It was then that the bitch showed up. She was wearing a different meat suit from the last time but she recognized her by the smell. Narrowing her eyes she looked at the bitch and maneuvered for a better tactical position. "What the hell are you doing here bitch?"_

_ "Is that a way to greet an old friend?"_

_ "You're not any friend of mine."_

_ "I know. So sad and I see that once again something you touched ended up dead. Must be hard being you."_

Angela blinked as she took the exit she needed to get her to North Dakota. Her confrontations with Ruby in the past had been bloody and there were people who had gotten caught in the crossfire. The only reason they had been able to survive was because she sacrificed her tactical advantage to save them. It was what Ruby knew and depended upon when they started this harassment business.

The only reason she adopted an armistice was because of Sam. He wanted to try the way Ruby suggested and she was willing to go with it simply because she wanted him to be able to stand on his two feet in terms of his ability to make a tactical decision and then living with the consequences. Of course she knew the path he was on too well and this was one time that she needed to interfere and try to make him see what was wrong with his idea. She hated to think of alternatives of physically stopping this with the exception of her actually giving the bitch Ruby what she truly deserved.

Cerebus made a noise and it caused Angela to look in his direction. He was giving her that look that said that he knew her agitation and was going to be supportive. She gave a slight smile as she reached over to rub the mutt. "I know boy. I am getting too bent out of shape over this. I never did before."

She knew that she had been rather abrupt when Gabriel asked her what was wrong. Yet he had been understanding about the whole thing. She couldn't explain how she knew something was wrong but she did. It could have been related to Ares' joke about her having a sixth sense to her sixth sense and she would have been inclined to agree. Deep down she knew that something was wrong and it involved Sam. It was like those gut wrenching feelings she had when the Old Man decided to have fun with her. Her response though didn't seem to surprise Gabriel that much.

The appearance of the archangel stirred up some questions but like he admitted he liked toeing the line and pushing the envelope. She did to on occasion which was why she had fun with Dean arguing using semantics. Yet his presence was reassuring, much more than Castiel's since she was certain that something was up. She did have to admit the angel picked a fine time to tell her things that she said 'fuck you' to destiny but still… she could understand better why things worked out the way they did and it sort of placed the seed for her to think about Castiel's behavior and how the heck he was able to find her even though she blocked him. It was a lot to think about.

Gabriel understood the urgency once she identified the source of the problem. In fact neither him nor the Alchemist seemed particularly surprised she picked it up. It was then that she checked her cell phone and found the voice mail messages from Dean. She felt bad that he hadn't been able to reach her and hearing the way how his voice sounded over the phone… It pulled at her heart. Then that message about Sam getting out…

She couldn't get out of the Gauntlet fast enough. Josiah wasn't put out at the way she left the building; it was like he expected it. Gabriel actually offered to send her there via Angel Air. It was a surprising gesture but then there was the issue of the car. Of course she trusted Gabriel enough not to damage her baby but in the end she needed the time to garner focus. She told him, "I think I should drive. Clear the head thing."

Gabriel had understood and nodded his understanding. He couldn't help but give a gentle kiss to her cheek. It allowed him to whisper, "You know who to call if you need anything."

Now she was on the road headed towards North Dakota. As soon as she hit the road, she called Dean and learned a little more about what happened and where he was headed. While it was probably a good idea to team up with Dean on this, she wanted to go it alone. She didn't want any mistakes, unnecessary interruptions, though she expected that from Ruby and if she screwed up then it was on her. Also she felt time was of the essence and pausing to meet up could eat into that and she couldn't explain it but she knew where Sam was or had some inkling and she was following it.

_You have talents that need to be developed Cat. That trick I showed you. Start small with that and let it grow._

It was funny how she could recall tidbits from Gabriel and it was long after their conversations. How much of it was memory and how much of it was reminders through that guardian-charge bond thing she couldn't say. It did provide some measure of comfort as she put her foot on the gas and sped down the highway. She relished the rumble of the engine and mentally made a note to take Deanna out on a hunt the next time out. She sighed and looked forward already starting to figure out what she was going to do when she got to Jamestown, North Dakota.

* * *

"That was the lowest thing you ever did."

Castiel didn't turn just yet but he knew that he was in the presence of someone who was, for lack of a better expression, pissed off and at him. He knew who it was and he was well aware what it was like when her wrath was tested.

"I swear Cas. Sometimes you just follow blindly…"

Castiel sighed and turned, "I have my orders Amitiel."

Amitiel stood there looking at Castiel trying not to go all smiting on his ass. Instead she adopted the hands on the hips routine. That seemed to work out better than most things and certainly made an impression on the Winchesters when they were in trouble with Absolution. "Orders my ass. You knew the situation was serious."

"Things have to go their due course. We are the instruments of Fate," Castiel replied.

"In the vast majority of things when we are to give a push. That is our job," Amitiel admitted. Being an archangel she had a different set of duties with regards to being an angel but there were some duties that crossed boundaries. "We don't do things like this."

"It has to be done."

"Absolution was looking for a solution to help Sam. He is drinking demon blood. His brother put him in that position to help him and Absolution was trying to find something better and you screwed with it." Amitiel snorted in anger as she waved her hands at Castiel.

She had been talking with Gabriel when she sensed something wasn't right. It was like a change in the wind or something but it came from Castiel. It was the faintest hint of guilt and when she felt that, it meant that something was going down. When she looked at her brother Gabriel she could tell that something was up.

They ended up splitting up. He would go to Absolution and she would go to Castiel. It took a while and in the end she wasn't too pleased at all about what had happened. She looked around and picked up something else and narrowed her eyes, "And you let them take Anna. Cas, what did you do?"

"We have our orders Amitiel," Castiel replied in the gruff firm tones. "Anna is still a fugitive, an offense to the will of God."

"An offense? Cas, she disagreed with one thing and that labeled her as a traitor? That is complete bullshit."

"You should be careful Amitiel," Castiel warned. His tone was firm but his eyes said much.

Amitiel saw the look and calmed down considerably but she was still upset about the whole thing. So there was still some of the old Castiel in there. It was just a matter of getting it to come back. "And you know about me. I think the Grand Canyon is a good example."

Castiel raised his brow slightly at that. He was well aware that any of his brothers who dared to challenge Amitiel ended up with serious fall out. It was worse when she considered their words to be a lie. He knew that it was serious with this and searched for the right words to say, "It is true that certain things have happened as a result of disagreement."

"Don't try it Cas. I'm still pissed at what you did and I want to know why. And don't say that it was orders."

"That is all there is to say."

"You didn't have to contribute. Absolution was going to find something to help and you may have made things worse." Amitiel paused a bit and studied the angel. "Did you do this on purpose to change her mind?"

"What?"

"Come on Cas. You must have seen it, sensed it; about how she feels about Sam." Amitiel prompted Castiel to say something, anything about it. "Was it out of sheer jealousy? I could expect that from Sam and it has been entertaining but from you?"

Castiel didn't look Amitiel in the eye. He looked down at the ground as he replied, "The Malachi is a servant to all. What she is doing is an act of selfishness."

"And I don't' believe for one second that you are going to use that excuse," Amitiel countered. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Castiel. "She is the least selfish human or half human I've met. She is the first to sacrifice herself if it meant to save others… even more so if it is someone she really cares about. Do you really think that she would give up caring about you?"

"She needs to be clear headed about this."

"Cas."

Castiel looked at Amitiel and noted the stance. He wondered who picked up what from whom. "She…"

"Cas, tell the truth. You are capable of that and I know that the general didn't eradicate everything you picked up watching over Absolution. Why are you being a colossal dickhead?"

Castiel looked at Amitiel and could tell that she wasn't going to let her go. There was also the fact that he couldn't tell a lie. She was the archangel of Truth and had a thing for sniffing out lies. She could even tell if he sort of told the truth but circumvented what she was looking for. She was not in the mood for hearing the standard answer.

Amitiel knew he was stuck in a place of indecision. He was well aware that she could sniff out a lie and half-truths. He was also struggling in his 'reprogramming' to obey orders. She had been a bit harsh but she couldn't believe that it was just orders that motivated Castiel to do what he did and release Sam from his confines. Gently she said, "Cas… why?"

"Maybe… maybe I was motivated by… personal reasons." Castiel didn't look at Amitiel but rather at the landscape. "Sam Winchester is set on his own destruction. She needs to see that."

"And is that why you tried to stop her from going through the Gauntlet?"

"She was and still is needed," Castiel replied as he looked up to look at Amitiel in the eye. "The time has come for Absolution to step up and help the one who begins it to end it."

Amitiel shook her head in an almost pitying manner. Castiel was jealous on some level or being fiercely protective. Unfortunately it would have to be something that he would have to figure out himself eventually. At least he was somewhat on that track. "She is not going to give you up so easily you know," she pointed out. "More likely she will say fuck you to destiny and go about it her own way because she feels it to be the right thing. You hated it when they made her torture Alistair. You didn't want that and yet it was geared to get her to be something the general wants."

Castiel said nothing but looked at Amitiel. It almost looked like he was going to become angry and leave. He knew that Amitiel was right about a few things. There were other things he had to think about since there were things that conflicted with what he had been re-educated with. Finally he said, "You know as well as I that what she is destined for will happen."

"But let it happen her own way. You should be happy that she has something to keep her steady." Amitiel paused and then continued, "She won't let the world burn but she won't sacrifice the one person that matters for it either. You just better hope that she's is a better frame of mind once she finds Sam and does what she needs to do. Cause I don't want to witness that."

She turned to go but was halted but Castiel saying, "I will… think on what you have said. I care about her and don't want her hurt."

"It's a start."

* * *

Sam looked up at the ceiling of the room. He felt a whole lot better now that he had gotten what he had needed. He was no longer shaking and he was certain that no more hallucinations were coming. The very low moan though had him realize that there was at least one thing in the room that was not happy with the situation.

It surprised him that Sasha hadn't moved but he was right in that she wouldn't go after Ruby. She was used to taking orders and it made sense. She was trained to obey orders. Yet Sam knew deep down that there was more to that dog like there was to Cerebus. Still she was still here and that had to account for something.

"You're appetite's has gotten much bigger," Ruby's voice entered. Her expression held a certain satisfaction that was hidden to Sam but blatantly obvious to anyone else who would have seen it.

Sam frowned as his thoughts were interrupted and turned his head to look at Ruby. He propped himself up and asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ruby had her head propped on her hand. She saw the concern and she had to assuage Sam that it was okay… not that he was but still. She replied, "Sam it's okay. It's good. It just means you're getting stronger, that's all."

Sasha gave a low growl at that. Ruby knew that they had to get rid of the mutt. She didn't doubt that Absolution had something going on with the presence of the mutt. Yet the mutt didn't show any sign of disobeying any order Sam had given it. She ignored the mutt and added, "It means you're strong enough to kill Lilith. Just in time too because the final seals are breaking."

Sam had heard Sasha's growl in response to Ruby's words. He couldn't tell if it was just because Ruby was talking or it was in response to what was being said. In some twisted way, it was almost hearing Angela scoff at Ruby. He had witnessed enough of their conversations to know how that would turn out. It was something to think about. Right now there were final seals breaking. He asked, "How many are left?"

"Three? Two?"

Sam didn't expect to hear that. "What? Where are the angels?"

"Screwing the pooch wherever they are," Ruby offered. Now was the time to be a bit of a pin prick. "Maybe ignoring the seals and getting Absolution to their side. She is supposed to be their Champion after all."

It was almost a surge of panic Sam felt. If the angels came after her and she resisted because of how she felt about them… Who was to say they wouldn't do what they did to Castiel? "They would come for her?"

"And isolate her and make her ready however the hell they do it," Ruby replied a bit annoyed at where this was going. "The point is, it's looking more and more like we're getting down to the final seal. And I found out something big."

Sam didn't like the idea of the angels doing something to Angela. Castiel wouldn't let anything happen to her. He was her guardian angel and he wasn't blind to the fact that whenever she was in trouble the angel had a propensity to show up. But if the angels did get their hands on her… She wasn't going to like being forced into something against her will. Ruby's last statement had him focused and he looked at her, "What?"

"Seal 66. It can't be broken by just any demon. Apparently only Lucifer's first can do it," Ruby explained.

"Lucifer's first?" Sam knew full well what Ruby meant by that. Angela herself had referred to Lilith as the First on multiple occasions. The response just allowed him some time to process what he was hearing and to come up with a means of finding out if Angela was okay. He was willing to do this but only if she was okay in terms of not being accidentally caught in the crossfire because she was answering a call to arms.

"Demon Sunday school story. God prefers humans to angels," Ruby explained. She didn't see that Sam was thinking of other things as he was listening. "Lucifer gets jealous and then he gets creative. And he twists and tempts a human soul into the very first demon as a 'screw you' to God. It's what got him locked up in the first place."

"That was Lilith?" Sam thought about it and what Angela had revealed when she made her comments. It was one of those times that he wished she didn't feel the need to protect him from everything.

"She's way older than she looks. She's friends with Tiamat, the demon goddess," Ruby said, "Lilith really was surprised that Absolution was able to do what she did and now Tiamat can't get out of wherever she sent her."

Sam remembered that. Then again there was something to go on here, "Wait so…" He hitched himself higher up on the bed and continued, "If Lilith is the only one who can break the final seal… if I get to her in time…"

"Then Lucifer never busts out of his cage. Exactly," Ruby finished, pleased that Sam was finally getting on track to what needed to be done. She grinned to show that she was pleased.

"Great," Sam replied finally feeling that something good was coming out of this. "You figure out where she is?"

"The bitch can hide," Ruby admitted. She knew that there was one person who could find Lilith. She hated to admit it but Absolution was _way_ better at tracking down demons than the best of the Hunter lines. Of course it made sense since the cow was the First Slayer of demons. It was no wonder that Lilith was interested in her. Two Firsts together…

Sam was in similar thought of Ruby in that he knew one person who could help find Lilith. It was going to be a bitch making them work together but if it was for a greater good, there was no way Angela would pass it up. "Angie could find her."

"And you have no idea where she is." Ruby felt like she was getting road blocked every step of the way. This was going to be a hard one. "How are you even going to find her?"

"Just a phone call," Sam pointed out.

"And what? Hope she's in the area?" Ruby propped herself up. She didn't expect this but she had to play it off. "I have a lead on someone who might be able to help us. I closed in on a member of Lilith's entourage. You might call her… a personal chef?"

"Chef? Seriously?" Sam looked at Ruby wondering if he was hearing right. Seeing the confirmation on Ruby's face he couldn't help but ask, "What does she eat?"

Ruby shook her head, "You don't want to know." She couldn't help but smirk at Sam and add, "Now tell me: can the cow Absolution do any better?" She looked at Sam a noted his expression at her reference to Absolution and raised her brow at him to challenge anything that he was going to say. She was so close.

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like Amitiel is having words with Cas and Ruby drops her bombshell about Lilith. Let's see where it goes next time on The Calm before the Storm...


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

There was a time Angela could remember when she would take her baby Deanna out just to feel the breeze ripple through her hair. She would take her out, lower the top and take off down the highway. There was nothing like it. At the moment though it was hardly enjoyable as she adjusted to follow the curve of the road, noting the change in the light in the sky and just heaved a sigh. Even if she gunned the engine and went top speed, there was no guarantee that she was going to get there with time to spare. Plus she wanted to avoid the unnecessary complication of a ticket.

Cerebus put his head in his alpha's lap and made a slight noise as she rubbed his head while she drove. He sensed her agitation and tried to soothe it. He knew though that the only way to make it better was to get her to her alpha. Only he was able to soothe that agitation. Of course that meant going after the demon that he had smelled on his alpha's alpha. He had been more restrained in letting his displeasure known and it made sense to send the pup in.

Angela continued to rub Cerebus' head. She knew that he was worried too but he was being like a regular dog and soothing her. It was probably why the demons were laughing at the fact that she took the prize bitch of hell and turned him into a lap dog. That was her, taking something and turning it against the other side. Mary once said she was practical in that respect. She used what she had and made those tactical decisions…

_Yeah and look where it got you. You end up alone with your friends killed. One day it'll end up being that you'll lose Cas and Gabe too._

"You know your thoughts can be poison."

It took a lot of control to keep control and maintain the speed she was going. It didn't hide her irritation though as she glanced to her right and nearly scowled as she said, "If I weren't driving I would kick your ass as I would Cas' for that."

Ares couldn't help but smirk as he propped his elbow on the widow. There was enough space to allow for the hell mutt to be between them. He couldn't resist petting the mutt even if it was the rump. "Huh, I guess Uncle Hades will be glad to know that his prize hound is being well cared for."

"Not the point of this Ares," Angela replied through gritted teeth. "What the fuck do you want now from me?"

Ares lay back in the front seat. He knew that he was being a pain in the ass but after everything that had happened, since he was a fairly diligent god of war, he had to see for himself what was going on. He replied, "Oh I just decided to drop in on my favorite warrior princess since there were some rather unusual changes in the ether."

"You and everybody else feeding me that usual line," Angela muttered.

"And yet you haven't tried to get rid of us yet."

"Only because I know the purpose of the gods and they still have clout since they have believers." Angela made a sharp turn onto a service way. "Are you here to actually contribute to what is going on or to just piss me off?"

"Now don't go off like that," Ares said in an almost pouting tone. "I only come around when it's important. Things have changed since the days of myth and legend." His voice took an almost mocking tone when describing the days when magic was still accepted and believed in along with gods and goddesses.

"And you like to manipulate the situation just to satisfy your whims. I don't have time for this." Angela adjusted her speed to allow Cerebus to get into the back seat. It was a little crowded up front.

"Right because we have come down to the final two or three seals and whether or not a troublesome pest will be let out of the box. Oh never mind, it will happen."

"Don't be an ass," Angela retorted, "Things can be changed."

"Of course. You who believes that we all have a choice and make our own destiny."

"It's not a bad thing. The past becomes a part of you and it can motivate how you want things to end up." Angela gave a slight shrug of her shoulders as the wind blew her loose locks back. "Besides it would be dull if people did what they were supposed to do."

"True," Ares offered, "But we know that sometimes people need order otherwise they can't function."

Angela would have said something but at the moment her phone rang. She gave a warning look at the god who was just enjoying the ride and put her hands free set in her ear, "Hey Bobby. You got anything?"

_One of these days yer gonna have to tell me how ya do that._

"Better you don't know," Angela replied with their joke in a soft tone. "Seriously Bobby, you got anything on Sam?"

_So the idjit did call ya._

"I called him."

_Figures. Anyway I've been riding the databases and the cops found a white Escalade dumped in a ditch outside Elk River._

Angela made a slight sound at that, "Figures Sam would listen to me on that one." She remembered teaching Sam that lesson. He thought he had her pinned and was going to get her to tap out. She didn't and then became the aggressor. "Well I'm a few hours away."

_Right. I also pulled up a weather map and signs…_

"He's in Cold Spring," Angela said. She put her foot to the pedal and the Camaro sped up.

_There are demon signs like a neon sign. It's a good place to start looking._

"He's there Bobby," Angela said. She glanced at Ares who was motioning that she was running this show. "I just know it," she added in a low tone.

_Okay Angie. Do your thing with that. I'm not even gonna ask how you just know but… You should really wait up for Dean. He's mad right now about the whole thing but this is about getting Sam back. Not pushing him away._

"Preaching to the choir, Bobby," Angela replied as she took another road. "It's Sam's life and what he's doing with it that has Dean pissed."

_Get Sam back. Don't push him away._

"I know that Bobby," Angela replied. She ignored the god who was shamelessly listening to the conversation even though it was one sided for him. "I know we are heading for the wire now. There is still a chance to stop it from getting to the final seal." Her features contorted into a pensive expression that was almost sad. "There is time to make it so that things fall where they are supposed to be no matter what."

_Not everything is about…_

"I gotta go Bobby. I'll call you when I find Sam." Angela cut Bobby off and removed her earpiece. She put both hands on the wheel and took a breath as she continued forward.

"Real smooth there. You want to save Sam but you sense that in order to do it you have to be the one that suffers," Ares mused as he took in the thrill of going faster. As a god he didn't need human transportation but sometimes he indulged and liked it especially if someone knew what they were doing. When Angela failed to respond, he added, "Perhaps you should just stop and let everything run its course and let the cage be opened."

Angela braked and almost pulled a 180. She maneuvered the car to face the right way and it was a blessing of sorts that no other vehicles were on this stretch of road. She looked at the god and asked, "Now why would I stop Sam to let Lilith open the cage? Are you nuts?"

"Let Sam kill Lilith and the last seal is broken. Lucifer comes out to play. It will be the greatest war this world has seen since the time of the Ancients."

Angela looked at the god like he was insane. She had raised her brow at him. "You do realize that if Lucifer is let out, he will let the world burn."

"Not if you do your job and lead the armies of the Champions against him. Of course I'd like it better if you took him out yourself. I always said that you were very capable. Even the royal court knows it." Ares looked at Angela with a pointed look that hid if he was annoyed or amused. His features had him looking like he was in a state of perpetual frowning. "Of course I would like to see you really take on the First."

Angela continued to look at the god. Like most things she had sized up, what they said was full of double meanings or play on words. Gods were no exception and she felt the need to be wary with Ares. Gabriel had the propensity to do the same but he did it more to play a joke on her. Anything serious he was hard put to tell it straight. She allowed, "The angels said that I was to help the one that begins it end it."

Ares made a face at that as he replied, "Actually it is the one who begins it will end it but the Malachi is the one that will decide and pass judgment upon all." He gave a smirk and added, "Funny how they left that little bit out."

"Tell me about it," Angela replied as she looked forward. She then looked at the god and asked, "If Sam goes through with it, Lucifer still goes free?"

"You can't prevent what is to happen. You of all people should know that there are things that are supposed to happen. The timing can be left up to just anyone and anything. Besides it is a gift that you will be plunged into the fight, hurtled into the chaos. The world will tremble at your feet."

Angela looked at the god. She had heard that in various forms over the years but lately with the events that have happened… "I am not some chess piece to be moved about at will."

"Sadly no and I'm glad of it. You wouldn't be my warrior queen if it was like that. We all have a role though princess. Even us gods have a purpose. It was the way the Creator made us; he made you." Ares gestured towards Angela and gave a slow smile. He took in her expression and noted how uncomfortable she was with him in close proximity. It was fun getting under her skin. "Look, stop Sam and help him, don't and let him go after the First… in the end Lucifer's cage is getting popped and time for you to put the big girl boots on."

Angela had turned away from the god and looked down at the steering wheel. It seemed that the god was basically telling her that no matter what she did things were going to happen. It was easy for a god to see things in the big picture since they were virtually immortal. She let her thoughts drift as she stared downward at the steering wheel.

_Cat you are what you are now. There is no changing that._

_ Only the journey is written, not the destination or vice versa. In the end we all end up at where we're supposed to be. The choices we make just provides the filling for the story._

Ares watched as she thought about things. Maybe he was being a douche about giving her a tidbit here and there about things; it wasn't like she wasn't going to figure it out anyway. While it would be a major inconvenience for Lucifer to be out and about, he wouldn't mind seeing the warrior princess in action and he was also curious about the Winchesters. It was rare that he got two capable warriors that took up the mantle she did and without the full picture. A major plus was that he liked them.

It seemed like a long time for Angela to make up her mind and it had Ares asking, "Well? What's it gonna be? Personally I look forward to seeing you fight. I've always said that you had a way of making it seem like an art form."

Ares would have said more but was silenced when Angela put her hand over his mouth. It wasn't a firm clasp but it was enough to silence him on the matter. It was also a risk since there was the chance that he could retaliate in a violent manner. It was a testament to how she affected people around her and she was pretty bold when challenging beings like gods and angels. She said, "I get it Ares."

"Get what?"

"I get that things will happen regardless. The thing is though that as long I am comfortable with the road I am taking then it is good. It will probably hurt like hell but I'll do it and with little to no regret." Angela looked at the god of war with a lopsided smile.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Find Sam and hopefully save him from himself." She turned and put the car into gear and sped off down the highway.

"I knew there was a reason why I liked you."

"Don't even go there." The Camaro screeched off down the highway. There was lost time to be made up.

* * *

Sam dried his face after he washed it off and looked in the mirror. He had a bad feeling about going after one of Lilith's entourage. He would feel a lot better if Angela could confirm it. Even though she hadn't been doing that in a long time, there was a sure thing about her getting in touch with people and finding out. There was also the fact that she knew what to look for. Yet Ruby had a point. Even with a phone call, there was no guarantee that Angela would be in the vicinity. More likely she was with Dean and that meant they would be coming after him anyway.

He continued to stare at himself as he put back on his shirt and buttoned it. He couldn't shake the feeling that he might be doing something wrong but he knew he was doing right. It sounded weird even in his own head but it made sense to him. He glanced at Sasha where she was lying down and giving him that soulful look he was guilty of using on his brother one too many times. She had moved when Ruby came near and it was obvious to Sam that it was going to be a difficult arrangement; more like the way how Ruby and Angela got along.

Sam finished buttoning his shirt and ventured, "So, our demon gourmet nurse. You sure?"

Ruby was sitting on the couch in the suite and eyeing Sasha warily. It had been a relief that the mutt finally moved after not moving the rest of the night and into the day. It still had her nervous since when she walked over to the couch, the mutt let out a low growl when she got too close. It actually had both her and Sam stop at the sound. It wasn't until Ruby backed up a step that Sasha got up and moved to another spot and then let out a low rumble. They definitely had to lose the mutt. She focused on Sam and nodded, "She'll be there. Graveyard shift's tomorrow night. In the meantime, if you're gonna be strong enough to kill Lilith, you're going to need more than I can give you now."

It was not really something warm and fuzzy to hear and it had Sam sigh. He even heard Sasha sigh and add a reproachful moan to it. He really didn't like doing it but he liked the fact that it made him stronger. He felt that he could do something with whatever had been done to him when he was a baby. It was like the hallucination of his mom said. He was taking a curse and turning it into something good. Why beat himself up for the fact that he was cursed?

Ruby studied Sam as he sighed and said, "Sam? Come on. It's okay."

"I know I need more, I get it, I know it's okay, but..." Sam picked up the knife he had used and looked at it. "I just wish that Dean trusted me."

"And her?" Ruby raised her brow. As much as she was on a mission she was curious. She had never met someone who could be a pain in the ass whether they were loved or hated by the target. She didn't get it and sure as hell the angels probably didn't get it either.

"Angie's different," was all Sam said. He played with the knife a bit as he turned to think.

"Well I'll say since the broad is over five hundred years old," Ruby countered. She didn't care that it irked Sam that she called her names. It went both ways. "She probably knows how to make it appear so she's the good guy in all of this."

Sam turned on his heel and pointed with the knife, "She is _not_ like that. Not with us."

"Sam, think about it for a second. How do you think she survived all these years? I admit being friends with a few choice gods and an angel or two help but…" Ruby shrugged her shoulder on a suggestive note. "Let's face it: How many of her contacts have you met that you actually liked and not just tolerated?"

There were quite a few that he had met that he tolerated and at least one he could say that they all tolerated and didn't count since she didn't like the guy either. He replied, "Not everyone is happy with what she does but she does the best she can."

"And I'm sure that you can find them."

"Just let it go Ruby. I'm going with your lead on this. If Angie is on the trail of Lilith in her own way… then more the merrier. She does things her way and I'm good with it."

"Really Sam? I mean you're talking about the broad that killed herself trying to take on Lilith the first time."

"And we got her back. Just drop it," Sam replied a bit forcefully. He turned away to look through the window. He put his hands on his hips and took a couple of breaths.

_Trust me?_

He was tempted to reply to that. The last time he heard those words was when Angela saved their asses from some compound that was going to explode. _I trust you. But do you trust me?_

_ I trust you with my life. I know when push comes to shove… I can always rely on you and Dean._

_ Do you trust me to do this? I'm drinking demon blood to end this so you don't have to._

_ I could argue and tell you that you might be wrong but I'm hardly one to say that since I've used demons to get information; I tortured them. It's why Alistair decided to see what I'm made of._

Sam looked down as he took a couple of breaths. He didn't notice Sasha had moved from her spot to go sit by him until he felt her lean against his leg. She was sitting straight up so it didn't look like she was leaning. He looked down and she looked up at him with that reproachful look of hers. "I just hope that when this is over we can fix things," he said as he looked back up and turned to look at Ruby.

Ruby studied Sam and replied, "Maybe you can." She took a step forward but stopped when Sasha growled low in her chest. She sighed in exasperation, "If this is going to work you need to get rid of the mutt."

"She won't do anything."

"Sam, that is a Wilder."

Sam made a gesture, "Is that supposed to mean anything?"

"Wilders know how to sniff out demons," Ruby looked at Sam like he was being stupid on purpose.

"Then she can help us make sure we have the right one."

"They are bred to hunt us. In case you haven't noticed it doesn't like me." Ruby gestured at Sasha as the mutt rumbled in her chest. "If anything she could give us away."

Sam looked at Sasha. So far she hadn't done anything to indicate that she was going to be a problem. True she had let her disdain for Ruby show but that was more along the lines of merely tolerating Ruby's presence. "She's not going to be a problem Ruby."

"You don't know that. Wilders can't be trusted since they only obey their master."

Sam looked at Sasha. She was sitting like she was prepared to obey any order he was going to give. He made a slight motion with his fingers and she sat up in a reared position and looked at him expecting a treat. He looked at Ruby and said, "See? It's fine." He reached for his jacket and looked in the pockets and was surprised to find a biscuit in his pocket.

Ruby didn't quite believe it as she watched the mutt catch the biscuit as it was tossed to her. She looked at Sam and said, "If you think she can stay, then fine but I still think that she is only humoring you."

Sam gave Ruby a look. "She goes with and that's it. Okay?"

Ruby looked at the mutt. Sasha looked at her and the rumble sounded like a growl but the slightly high pitched whine overshadowed it. _You're good mutt but let's see who is better._ She looked at Sam and said, "Fine but keep it away from me. At least it can make a positive ID on our gourmet chef nurse."

Sam said nothing as they got ready to pack up. They had to leave soon since Dean was sure to be on his trail. They couldn't stay too long but night was better to move out. As he put on his jacket he thought about whether or not he was being rational bringing Sasha along. Truth was she wasn't his dog so it could mean that she was under orders. She certainly was the last time Dean decided that he was on lockdown. He looked at Sasha who was looking at the door, poised and ready to go.

"I'm going to check out. Meet you downstairs," Sam said to Ruby as she started to pack up.

"Take it with you."

Sam sighed. It was better with Angela being the object of disagreement. At least she delivered come backs and usually shut each other up for a time. He motioned for Sasha to come with him and opened the door. He muttered, "Maybe I should just leave you here to wait for Angie."

Sasha gave a high pitched whine at that. Her nails clicked on the floor as she went out to the hall and sat down. She started panting as she waited for Sam when she caught a scent. She continued to look at Sam all the while not betraying that she smelled someone dear and familiar. If anyone took a closer look they would have noticed her ear twitch.

Sam didn't notice and muttered, "Come on."

Sasha followed Sam towards the elevator. She was still panting as she looked around. She looked at the corner that led to the stairs before following Sam.

* * *

**A/N:** Angie gets the call from Bobby and has an interesting conversation with Ares. Sam gets ready to leave with Ruby and looked like Sasha picked up something or someone. Stay tuned for the conclusion of The Calm before the Storm...


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Dean managed to find Sam. He knew the kid's aliases and habits but he also figured out that if Sam took Angela's advice once, he would do it again and went with what he knew Sam wouldn't pick. He almost wanted to scoff at the fact that Sam booked the 'Honeymoon Suite' but he had to admit that it was pretty good.

He had to admit that it was disconcerting that Angela wasn't there yet. He could owe it to the fact that she was further away from him when she started out but he had to admit that he was disappointed she hadn't beat him to the punch. While she had been terse on the phone, he could tell that she was confident in what she was doing. The thought that she might have hit some trouble along the way stole into his thoughts but he had it banished. He couldn't think about that now; not with the issue with Sam on the line. That began with Ruby being on the business end of the knife.

He made his way up the stairs after figuring out the room Sam would have used. He paused to check the halls for any sign of Sam sticking his head out. He almost had a brief moment of panic when he spotted Sasha entering the hall. The mutts knew all of their scents. She could easily give him away if she made a beeline to him. It was one of the problems he didn't anticipate when he said it was a good thing that the pup was with Sam. He wondered what Angela had been thinking when she suggested that she keep Sam company in the panic room.

As it turned out Sasha didn't give him away, which was a surprise to him. She just waited for Sam. The only indication she may have known he was there was the twitch of her ears and the slight flare of her nostrils. Dean made a mental note to investigate since Sasha never failed to run to him when she was in a playful mood.

The coast was clear so Dean made his way to the room that Sam had left. No doubt Ruby was still in there. It was a walk in the park to get the door open and he found the bitch packing up. Slowly he pulled out the demon killing knife and stalked the bitch. One more thing for the to-do list.

His footsteps gave him away and Ruby wheeled to defend herself. He managed to get her across the forearm but it didn't stop there. They ended up with locked arms and with him pressing to try and gut the bitch. They wrestled around until he rammed Ruby into the wall and pressed. He got a good look and saw the fear in the bitch's eyes. He managed to twist his arm to get it free and was going to go for the plunge.

"No."

Dean found himself flung aside. He hit the bed and it broke his fall. He looked to see his brother trying to hold him off. Sasha was barking but rooted near the door looking like she was between them. Sam was looking at him and trying to placate him saying, "Just take it easy."

Dean got to his feet as Sasha whined. He looked at Sam and glanced at Ruby and replied, "Well, it must've been some party you two had going… considering how hard you tried to keep me from crashing it. Well, solid try but here I am."

Sam tried the calm approach and what he said, he meant it, "Dean, I'm glad you're here. Look. Let's just talk about this. Wait till Angie comes."

"Soon as that hell bitch is dead, we can talk all you want." Dean knew that it would have made some difference if Angela was there but she wasn't. He wasn't going to pass up on getting rid of something that he should have taken care of a long time ago.

Sam looked at his brother. He knew Dean meant what he said. He really didn't want it to be this way. He turned towards Ruby and said, "Ruby, get out of here."

"No, she's not going anywhere," Dean started.

Sam stopped Dean's advance. Ruby took the opportunity to run but not before Sasha lunged with a growl and clamped onto her ankle. Sam started towards the dog but Ruby kicked her off and left and Sasha went as far as the door and snorted. Dean waited until Ruby was gone before saying, "She's poison Sam."

"It's not what you think," Sam defended himself.

Dean was incredulous at that, "Look what she did to you." He had Sam's attention with the silence and continued, "She vanishes weeks at a time, leaves you cracking out for another hit."

"She was looking for Lilith," Sam explained. It felt frustrating talking to Dean.

Dean stared at his brother like he was an idiot. He was almost rendered speechless but he managed to retort, "That is French for manipulating your ass ten ways from Sunday."

"You're wrong, Dean."

"Sam, you're lying to yourself. I just want you to be okay" He paused to let it sink in. He had to appeal to that part of Sam. He was going to be low with this but he had to get through to his brother. "You would do the same for me. You know you would… And you would do it like a hell hound on the move if it were Angie."

That was low for Dean and Sam knew it and could tell that Dean knew it. He closed his eyes and took a breath. "Just listen." He realized he still had the knife in his hands and tossed it onto the bed. "Just listen for a second. We got a lead on a demon close to Lilith. Come with us, Dean. We'll do this together."

"That sounds great," Dean allowed, "As long as it's you, me and Angie. Demon bitch is a deal breaker. You kiss her good-bye, we can go right now."

"I can't." Sam saw that Dean wasn't getting it. "Dean, I need her to help me kill Lilith. I know you can't wrap your head around it but maybe one day… you'll understand."

Dean had turned away since he had to think about what to do and say. He couldn't look at his brother. Sam wanted his brother to understand. He continued, "I'm the only one who can do this Dean."

Dean frowned the moment he heard that and turned to look at his brother. He shook his head slightly, "No, you're not the one who's gonna do this."

"Right. That's right. I forgot. The angels think it's you."

"You don't think I can?"

"No. You can't. You're not strong enough."

Dean narrowed his eyes in anger, "Who the hell are you?"

Sam tried being rational but slowly was becoming agitated, "I'm being practical here. Angie would say the same thing. I'm doing what needs to be done. She would tell you that and do it. It's what she does."

"Don't you dare Sam. You know her better than that." Dean pointed angrily at Sam. "Angie may be a lot of things that we don't know but you and I both know that she won't do this. Not without taking everything into consideration. Or have you forgotten that?"

Sam sighed with pursed lips and then said, "I am doing this for her. I am doing what needs to be done."

"You're not gonna do a single damn thing."

Sam snapped, "Stop bossing me around, Dean."

The high pitched whine of Sasha was an indicator that the tension was high in the room. Sam tried to calm down, "Look… my whole life, you take the wheel, you call the shots and I trust you because you are my brother. Now… I'm asking you, for once… trust me."

Dean listened to what Sam said. He knew Sam argued logically but he couldn't let his brother destroy himself. "No. You don't know what you're doing Sam."

"Yes I do."

"Then that's worse."

"Why? Look, I'm telling you…"

"Because it's not something you're doing. It's what you are!" Dean paused, realizing that he was heading down the slippery slope that Bobby warned him about. Yet he couldn't stop, "It means…"

"What?" Sam had to ask the question. He saw the look on his brother's face and that hurt. His eyes were starting to water. He shook his head and said, "No," but it turned to anger and he added, "Say it."

It pained Dean to say it. He had no idea that Sam had hallucinated about him saying what he was going to say to his little brother. It also meant that he could imply the same thing about their girl. She would say she was guilty of the same thing. He choked out, "It means you're a monster." The tear fell.

Sam choked a bit as he looked away. His own brother said that to him. It hurt. It allowed him to look at his brother and give a punch that he meant. He watched as his brother fell and landed on the ground. He gasped for air as he watched his brother shake it off and got to his feet. He knew that warranted a retaliatory punch and gritted his teeth and he felt his features contort in response to the anger that he felt. He looked at his brother and took gasping breaths, ready to fight and for one he could see what Angela had meant when she had taught him to fight.

Dean got to his feet and looked at his brother. Sam wanted it to be that way, then he would give it. If he had to kick his brother's ass to save him… He would do it. He came back with a punch of his own. It hit Sam square across the face. The fight was on.

They had fought before in jest, mostly to test each other, with it being more fun on Dean's end. This time though, it was to seriously hurt and injure each other. It didn't help that Sasha was barking more like someone shouting at them to stop it. Dean swung and delivered hard blows and got a couple of them in, pushing Sam back into the bathroom.

Sam retaliated by blocking and forcing Dean back. He was driven more by anger. It showed when he hit Dean with enough force to smash into the mirror and break it. He waited until Dean swung and made him miss. Using his brother's momentum, he flung him through the barrier separating the bathroom and watched as his brother landed in a heap of glass and wood or plaster.

Dean grimaced on the ground from the pain. He had hit the barrier head and shoulders first. He felt the blood come out of his nose and a dull throb on his head. Then he felt his brother's hands close around his throat. He looked up to see Sam looking down at him like he wanted to kill him. Dean did what he could to try to relieve the pressure.

Sam's blood was up and he was on top of Dean trying to choke the life out of him. He heard Sasha barking but ignored it. He looked down at his brother with an angry expression. Was it hate? He didn't know. He was just… angry… like it was rage.

Suddenly Sam felt a sharp pain in his upper arm. He turned to see that Sasha had bitten him and hard. She growled slightly combined with a whine. He looked down at his brother and released him and got up. He was still angry. "You don't know me. You never did. And you never will," he spat out in anger. He turned to leave.

Sasha gave a whine. Sam wheeled and snapped, "Stay stupid mutt."

Dean was coughing on the ground. His brother had tried to strangle him and if it hadn't been for Sasha… He coughed out, "You walk out that door… don't you ever come back."

Sam paused and turned to look at his brother lying on the ground. Dean used the same words their dad told him when he wanted out of the hunting business to go to college. First Dad, then Dean… maybe it was better this way. He opened the door and walked out leaving his brother on the ground. He tried to kick Sasha away when she followed. "Sasha, don't. Stay," he said after she managed to nip his ankle and grab onto his jeans and tug.

She refused to be cowed and continued to follow. Sam waved his hands in frustration and walked away. He had a job to do.

* * *

Ruby had made it to her car. For a moment there, she was certain that Dean was going to get past Sam and kill her. He almost had the jump on her before Sam interfered. If it hadn't been for Sam, she would have been a cold corpse on the ground. She fumbled for her keys.

"I warned you the last time we met, Ruby. Did you really think that I was playing with you?"

Ruby paused in what she was doing and her expression became sour as she turned away from the car. She glared at the newcomer and replied, "It's what you do and you haven't done anything to make me think otherwise, bitch."

Angela looked at Ruby as her breath made clouds of smoke in the cold night air. She looked at the demon and took in the situation at hand. She noted that Ruby looked a little flustered in spite of the fact she was being her usual bitchy self. She should be. "Are you really going to go down that route?" She asked the question as she stepped forward.

Ruby stepped away from the car. It was then she noted the low throated growl coming from Cerebus. First the Wilder and now this? It was a bad day all around the first time she could actually go about and do what she had been doing. She ignored the hell hound and focused on Angela who was approaching her with a raised brow. She said, "And are you still willing to go behind Sam's back to deal with this?"

"Behind his back?" Angela raised her brow at Ruby. She gave a slow grin and said, "This has been out in the open since you walked through the front door bitch. There is nothing behind whoever's back here. We've both made it clear that we would kill each other."

Ruby stared hard at Angela. The hell hound was growling low but he hadn't moved. No doubt Angela had something to do with both mutts behaving the way they were. She nodded in agreement, "You're right. I saved your ass the last two times because I wanted to kill your ass myself and where's the gratitude in that?"

"Oh I'm grateful considering that we had a nice little rumble the last time out."

"And you're the cause of Sam hurting," Ruby countered, trying to pin it on Angela. It didn't matter if Sam was there or not. Eventually he would find out what happened and maybe he'll blame this cow for what happened. "You knocked me out for three weeks."

"Was it only that?" Angela mocked disappointment. She put a hand as if to think about it before shrugging. "I must be getting soft. Usually the bitches like you get the hint the first time."

"You've been soft too often. It's a wonder anyone is afraid of you," Ruby shot back. She dropped her bag on the ground. At least she had one weapon available to her if things got too ugly. "I mean what we did… nothing compared to some of the landmarks you visit."

"Well as has been pointed out to me, I'm no angel," Angela replied. She eyed Ruby and noted her movements. "So I have no problem opening old wounds between us. How's the burn mark?"

Ruby automatically put a hand to her side. She narrowed her eyes and snarled, "That was a low blow even for you. You know how it feels."

"Maybe… maybe not." Angela knew full well how it felt to have a lasting mark. There were a few that she was sensitive to and it took a lot of effort when someone touched her the wrong way not to react. "All I know is that," she pointed were Ruby's hand touched her side, "is a minor show of how much affection I have for you."

"Care for me to issue some payback?"

"If you think you can."

It was a rather nasty taunt and there was no guarantee that she would win but Angela was determined to give the beating of a lifetime to Ruby. It would mean that she was serious. If Sam happened to show up, it was going to be a difficult situation but she would do what she had to do. The demon blood was not the way to go.

Ruby on the other hand was up to the challenge. Even though her arm still stung from the knife she was up for beating this bitch's ass black and blue. This time she would not walk away with a few bumps and bruises. She gave a slow smile, her lips almost pouting a bit as she replied, "Oh I know I can. The question is whether or not you have the balls to finish what you should have." She raised her brow slightly in a challenge. "Well… do you or do you not?" It came out as a sneer and Ruby tensed her muscles to see what Angela would do.

Angela twitched her lip slightly. She looked down at the ground and sideways at Cerebus. The hell hound growled low in his chest but he sat down. He wasn't going to move. She sighed and looked back up at Ruby. As soon as she did, she made a sweeping gesture and sent the demon flying where she collided with the wall. It was followed by a rushing of the demon and Angela pressed her against the wall with her eyes glowing.

Ruby grunted from the impact of the double whammy. She could tell that Angela was pissed. Well she could dish it back too. She looked at Angela and noted that her eye teeth had the faintest hints of elongation and her eyes were glowing. It was on.

"Want to dance?" Angela gave a slightly evil looking grin.

Ruby pursed her lips and it slowly turned into a smile, "Oh I love it." She pushed hard to gain some leverage and delivered a hard left. It gave her enough opening for her to use her mojo to send Angela flying back herself where she collided with the side of a car and left a particularly nasty dent. It sucked that the only way her mojo would work on the bitch before her was if she caught her off guard.

Angela shook her head slightly since the back of her head hit the door of the car. It was sheer luck that it didn't have an alarm system. It would have been hard to explain why she and a hell bitch were going at it in a parking lot. There was also the issue of being arrested for assault and then that would be a bitch. As it were the area was pretty quiet.

Looking up, Angela got to her feet but she was off balance since Ruby decided to charge her. She was on her knees but she grabbed the demon by her waist like she was going to tackle her. It gave her a bit of leverage to get to her feet since she had a grip on Ruby's belt. The downside was that Ruby had her by her belt and neither one of them was going to let go.

It was an interesting form of tug-o-war as each woman tugged on their end, trying to lift the other. It would have looked funny and certainly garnered cat calls but it was hardly fun since both also extended their arms, trying to scratch each other. Ruby managed to scratch Angela on the lower back where she gave a kidney shot the last time. Angela reacted and managed to lift Ruby's feet a little but took off moving and swung her to the side and into another car, leaving a dent near the back wheel and possibly damage to the rear axle.

The shot to the hip had Ruby grunting. She brought up her arm and hit Angela square on the lower back. It forced Angela to grit her teeth and she slid down. It gave Ruby opportunity to grab her in a similar manner and completely fling her aside. She followed up with a kick at Angela's midsection while she was down and grinned in pleasure as Angela rolled away to try and get to her feet. She aimed with another kick.

Angela was ready for it though and brought her arms up to catch Ruby's foot with both hands. With a deft twist, she twisted Ruby's ankle and heard a slight crunch. She exerted enough force to have Ruby spin midair before she fell to the pavement and hit it hard. Stumbling Angela got to her feet and pounced on Ruby and ended up grabbing her hair.

Ruby retaliated and pulled on what she could of Angela's hair. They started rolling on the ground. It was a general and literal hair pulling ordeal. Both had a grip on each other's hair near the roots and tugging while struggling to prevent the other from pulling it out. After rolling around, Angela landed on her back with Ruby grabbing the hair near her ears and she had hair near the back of the bitch's head. Ruby growled from the pain and drew back her fist and drove a right hook across Angela's face.

The punch was a stunner and had Angela blink but that didn't stop her from throwing a left hook that knocked Ruby off of her. She rolled to her hands and knees and got to her feet. It was a good thing since Ruby was back on her feet and swinging her punches fast and hard along with a couple of kicks. Angela blocked and gave a few back and finished with a spinning back kick to slam Ruby into a dumpster with enough force to make the lid slam down.

Ruby snarled at Angela and reached behind her. Her hand closed on something and she brought it out in a wide swing. The piping caught the side of Angela's body, mostly on the shoulder but it changed the dynamics. Ruby swung hard with her weapon while Angela sprang away until she grabbed the pipe. It was all that Ruby needed.

Ruby took the opportunity to deliver a hard kick to Angela's midsection. She followed through with a backhand and a punch. When Angela let go she swung the pipe and hit her hard and heard the crack of ribs. Dropping the pipe, she grabbed the dhampir and flipped her onto the dumpster, slamming her back down on it and she drove her elbow in. "Take that you stupid bitch," she muttered as she drove another elbow towards home.

"Don't mind if I do," Angela replied a bit weakly. Her vision was blurring from the hits and her body was sore from the beatings. With the last ounce of strength she could muster, she reached out and punched Ruby in the face and grabbed her head by her hair and yanked down. It was an action she would regret later but it felt good at the time.

Ruby yelped in surprise when the fangs pierced her neck. It wasn't a love tap. It was a full on bite. She jerked back and ended up pulled Angela off the dumpster and they landed in a heap on the pavement. Fueled more by rage, she grabbed Angela in a similar manner and slammed her head into the dumpster and watched with certain satisfaction when Angela collapsed face down and didn't get up. She was still conscious since she gave a slight moan. Ruby took her opportunity and grabbed her knife from her boot. Gasping from exhaustion and pleasure, she grabbed the back of Angela's head and lifted to expose the throat. She heaved a chuckle as she started to bring down the knife.

"Don't!"

Ruby looked to see Sam holding her arm, preventing her from delivering the killing blow. He looked pissed and hurt but more pissed. "What are you doing Sam?"

"Don't," Sam repeated.

Ruby took in his expression and slowly lowered her knife to put it back in her boot. She couldn't help but pout, "_She _tried to kill me."

Sam just stared at her with a hard look. Ruby was silent on the matter as she followed Sam. She cast a look back at Angela as she struggled on the ground. _Who's the bitch now?_

Angela blinked as she felt the thousands of sore spots on her body. She thought it was the end when she felt her head pulled back and her neck exposed. In the end though, Sam saved her. She was disoriented but she heard him tell Ruby not to do it. The tone alone was something and had she been coherent enough, worried about that. As it were, she was down for the count and she saw Sam walking away with Ruby. They were followed by Sasha, who only paused a moment to look at her and Cerebus before jumping into the car. Where did things go wrong? It was on her mind as her vision blurred to darkness, watching the car drive away.

* * *

**A/N:** Dean catches up with Sam and they duke it out. Meanwhile Angie catches up with Ruby and round two starts and ends with Ruby nearly killing Angie. What happens next? Stay tuned for the season finale 3.22 Descent into the Maelstrom...


End file.
